Harry Potter and the Keeper of Power
by shadowarwen
Summary: SERIES COMPLETE...Harry is about to return to Hogwarts for his fifth year. Unexpected surprises await him. Visions and new powers are the least of his worries. Warning: May mention child abuse in future chapters.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer:  Don't own any of the Harry Potter characters.  Bla, bla, bla.  

This is the sequel to my story Don't Fall Away.  I recommend you read it before you read this one, or some things might not make sense.  

It had been a month since Harry had arrived at the Weasley's.  A month since they had come and rescued him from his own personal hell.  The bruises had faded and he was all in all, a much happier person.  Ron's little pep talk had helped greatly, even though he still found himself in little angry spurts every now and then. Now all he had to deal with were the nightmares.  Mainly they were just about Cedric's death, but then the others were the ones he really had to worry about.  Dumbledore had described them as premonitions for the future.  When he had these nightmares, he always saw what Voldemort was going to do. However, he had no idea how far into the future these premonitions were.  If he did know, he could tell Dumbledore and put a stop to them.  In the meantime, he just gave Dumbledore a heads up, who would then contact those who could deal with the situation.   

Thankfully he hadn't had one of these nightmares in almost two weeks.  They were hell on his head, making his scar burn so fiercely that he woke up screaming every time.  

At the moment, all that he had been through was forgotten.  Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the twins were all outside chasing down some garden gnomes.  Fred had just picked one up, spun it around, and launched it into the sky.  "Oh….that one is gone."  Fred had spotted another gnome and had thrown himself down on top of it, only to miss it, by a mile.  

"You might want to actually aim for them, you know, before you throw yourself down on top of a carrot."  Said Ron.  Everyone was laughing and rolling on the ground.  

"Shut up, you git."  Fred said, making a wild dash for his younger brother, only to be side swiped by him as well.  

"Give it up man, you'll never catch anything, well except for maybe a cold."  Fred looked like he was about to clobber his brother, that is if he could catch him.  

"Alright kids, let's bring it inside!"  Molly Weasley had stepped outside to tell them it was time for supper and noticed that they were all lying on the ground.  "What are you doing?" She asked, eyeing them suspiciously.  "You're supposed to be de-gnoming the garden, not taking a nap.  Now get inside and wash up, you're all absolutely filthy."  With that said she turned on her heel and walked back into the house.  

"You heard the woman, move!"  Sirius had decided to choose that exact moment to make his presence known.  

"Sirius!" Harry jumped up in surprise when he saw his godfather also emerge from the house.  "What are you doing here?"  He was pretty sure he knew the answer, but thought he'd ask all the same.  "I thought you were on some mission for Dumbledore, you know, gathering the old crew and all."  

"Don't worry about that Harry, it's all taken care of.  I would have been here sooner, only I was away when Remus got the letter."  He quickly descended upon Harry and enveloped him in a tight hug, lifting him up in the air, before setting him back on the ground again.  "Are you alright?" 

Harry had noticed that the Weasley's and Hermione were discreetly slipping into the house, leaving him alone with Sirius.  He was especially thankful for this, because he didn't like talking about the Dursley's and what had happened with them in front of his friends.  

"I'm fine." said Harry, who was looking at just about anything except at his godfather's face.  

"Why don't I believe you?" Sirius had noticed that Harry wouldn't look at him.  

"I'm really fine, honestly."  Harry decided to get up the courage and look in his godfather's face.  What he saw there made him relax.  He didn't know why, but he kept thinking that people would look down upon him, like it was his fault.  His godfather didn't look the least bit ashamed in him, quite the opposite, he was quite proud of his godson.  

"Harry, I'm glad you're okay.  I can tell that you don't want to talk about it now, but if you ever do want to talk about what happened with the Dursley's, you can come and talk to me, you know that, don't you?" 

"Yeah, I know."  

*************************************************************

The Weasley's, Hermione, and Remus Lupin were all sitting at the kitchen table when Sirius and Harry walked back in.  Immediately everyone went quiet.

"What?" asked Harry, sharply.  He hadn't meant for it to come out like that, but quite frankly, he was sick of them always getting quiet whenever he came into a room, like they had been talking about him.  

Sirius gave him a startled look and made to put his arm around his shoulders, only to have it brushed off.  Sirius caught a look that Mr. Weasley gave him that pretty much said 'leave him alone.'  They had all seen first hand how Harry's mood swings could be.  They all stood back and watched as Harry stormed out of the room and could hear his loud footfalls on the stairs as he went up to Ron's room, which he was sharing with him and the twins.  

"What was that all about?" asked Sirius.  

Mrs. Weasley sighed as she sat down at the table next to her husband.  "That, my friend, was one of the glorious mood swings that Harry keeps having ever since he arrived here and got away from 'them.'  

"Oh." said Sirius, with a deadly glint in his eyes.  

I hope you all liked that, and I hope it made sense.  I can tell you there will be some definite Dursley bashing in the next chapter or two.  I won't kill them though, sorry.  Review and I will update!!!!  Buh-bye now. 


	2. NEVER AGAIN!

READ THIS!!!!  Okay, I need a name for a hamster.  I'm serious.  It's for my class of one year olds, so make it good.  Is this the oddest question that has ever been asked, or what?  And it can't be Blackie.  It's first name was Blackie, now we're looking for something else.  

About the story:  I am really glad everybody likes the sequel.  I, myself, wasn't too sure about the first chapter, but since you guys reviewed nicely, you get the rest of the story!  Somebody asked why I was making the next chapter of my last story the first chapter to this story.  It's because I can and it makes sense to me.  By the way JaimeyKay, I don't intend to do the Order of the Phoenix like everybody else is doing it, that's getting old.  I'm in the process of thinking up something original.  Hopefully nobody will steal my idea before I can get to writing it up.  Anywho, I will shut up now and let you guys read this.   Ohhh….but, sorry for not getting this up sooner, but I had issues, so I will make this especially long for the wait I made you guys do.  

The wind was blowing fiercely as Mrs. Weasley was magically doing the dishes.  She hadn't seen it rain this hard in ages.  This was the reason that everyone was holed up inside the house instead of outside playing Quiddich or something else constructive at twelve o'clock in the afternoon.  Lunch had been fairly quiet, since nobody seemed to want to talk to anybody else.  Harry was still in his angry mode and nobody felt the need to tick him off.  As it was, Fred and George were off somewhere in the house, secretly making up some new invention for their joke shop.  Ginny, Hermione, and Ron were sitting in front of the fire place, playing a game of wizards chess, which Ron was kicking their butts at.  Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were still in the kitchen cleaning up and Harry was sitting on the couch along with Sirius.  Remus had left, murmuring something about Hogwarts and Dumbledore.  

Ginny yelled out as one of her pieces got smashed to death by Ron's queen.  "Ha, Ha, I win." said Ron.  Hermione and Ginny had made an art form out of glaring at Ron by this point.  

"Well, if we knew how to play the game, it would be helpful Ron!" Hermione had been trying to help Ginny play the game against her big brother, but it wasn't much help, at all.  

"So, when are we going to Diagon Alley?" asked Hermione. "Are your parents going to take us?"  

"Yeah, and we'll probably get our own personal body guards, what with You-Know-Who out and about.  I shudder at the thought."  

Harry, who wasn't in such a bad mood at the moment, got up and headed over towards the group in front of the chess game.  

"Hello Harry." said the group in unison.

"Hello." said Harry, rather cautiously.  He wasn't sure if they were mad at him for being a pain in the rear end, or not.  

"We were just talking about getting our school supplies for this year."  Ginny told him, blushing furiously.  She still had a crush on him.  

"Oh.  I've still got some things back…….well, you know…..back at their house."  Harry had come to despise his aunt and uncle's name as much as he despised their persons.  

"But we got all of your things, remember Harry?"  asked Ron.  

"Yes, but you forgot to get the things that were underneath my bed, under the loose floorboard.  You're brothers probably forgot about my hiding place.  I've got some homework and my real wand down in it."  Harry had taken to twirling one of the chess pieces around in his hand.  

"Oh, yeah.  I completely forgot about that.  But, do you think it would be a good idea for you to go back there?  What if your uncle's there?"  asked Hermione.  She wasn't about to let her friend walk into danger.  

"I highly doubt they would still be there.  They're probably long gone by now.  They wouldn't risk coming back until they knew I was in school for about five months.  Give everybody time to calm down.  Besides, I'll be taking Sirius with me.  I'll be fine."  Hermione visibly relaxed upon hearing that Harry's godfather would be accompanying him back to the Dursleys.

Little did she know. 

The next day brought some of the same weather.  The sky looked dreary and made everything look downright gloomy.  The second anyone stepped outside, they were nearly blown down the yard by the strength of the wind.  Ginny had made the mistake of going outside to experience this kind of weather and nearly paid dearly for it.  She was soon being dragged down the front yard, just by the sheer velocity of the wind, screaming like mad.  Her father and Sirius had to chase her down and carry her back inside.  It was quite amusing, however, when they looked back on it a few hours later.  Ron and his brothers were laughing about the look on Ginny's face; meanwhile Ginny had picked up a pillow and launched it at their heads.  

"Laugh at me, you pigs!"  

Harry had already asked Sirius to come along with him to the Dursleys.  He was more than willing to go, just to make sure he was safe.  Plus, if Mr. Dursley was there……it'd be time for an ass whoopin'.  

They had decided to use floo powder, just because it was faster.  Sirius was going first, just to make sure they weren't there before Harry arrived.  He threw the powder into the fire, yelled out the Dursley's, stepped into the fire and disappeared.  Harry waited a few minutes, then repeated the same procedure that Sirius had just done moments before.  

When Harry all but fell onto the Dursley's living room floor, he noticed that everything had a deserted feeling to it straight away.  This immediately made him feel better.  He picked himself up off the floor and stood up to meet Sirius's gaze.  

"You okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine." said Harry. "Looks deserted, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, it does.  Doesn't look like anyone's been here in at least a month." 

"That's probably because it's been at least that long since Mr. Weasley threatened them.  It's been longer actually."  said Harry.  "I'm going to run upstairs and get my things.  It will just take a second.  You can wait down here."  Harry really didn't want Sirius to see the room that he had been forced to live in.  He knew it would upset him to see the state of the room, let alone the blood that would most definitely be dried onto the floor.  

"Okay, that's fine.  I'll be down here if you need anything, just holler."  Sirius was also not a stupid man.  He could sense that his godson didn't want him to know about what went on in this house. 

"Alright."  Harry quickly walked out of the living room and into the hallway.  He looked up the steps, which were pitch black, since the storm was raging here as well, and no light was creeping in through the windows.  He ran as fast as he could up the stairs and went into his bedroom.  It was just as gloomy in his room as it had been in the stairway.  He flipped the light switch and the room was immediately bathed in light.  

"Way to keep the electricity on, uncle."  He wasn't sure if it had been turned off or not.  Apparently it hadn't.  He quickly went over to his bed and scooted underneath it.  He lifted the loose floorboard and pulled out his wand and a few books, which had papers sticking out of them.  His homework.  He then pushed himself out from under the bed and placed his books on top of it.  He put his wand in his back pocket and was about to pick up his books when he heard something over by the door.  He looked over, expecting to see Sirius, but nearly jumped in surprise.  There, standing in the doorway, was none other than Vernon Dursley.

Okay, I'm gonna be really mean and leave it here for the time being.   Well, maybe not…….. Don't ya love me!

Harry quickly backed himself into the wall.  He couldn't believe what he was seeing.  Vernon looked just as surprised as Harry did.  He was carrying two suitcases in each hand and had dropped them on the floor when he came into the room.  

"What are you doing here, boy?"  He asked.  A menacing tone had just crept into his voice.  He assumed that Harry was alone.  He had only heard one person in the house.  

"I…I was just picking up some of my th-things." He stuttered apprehensively.  "M-My godfather is here with me."  He tried to sound braver, but his godfather was all the way downstairs and his uncle was standing in front of him.  

"Oh, really?"  Vernon had taken a step closer to Harry and was now mere inches away from him.  "Lying does not suit you Harry."  Before Harry could even move, his uncle had put his beefy hand around his throat, cutting off any scream that would have came out.  Vernon drew back his fist and punched him squarely across the face, drawing blood from his lips.  

Harry whimpered in fear, trying desperately to get out of his uncle's clutches.  This only brought on Vernon's wrath more strongly.  "It's your entire fault that we have to live in another town under a false name, you horrible little brat!"  His uncle only managed to grit that out of clinched teeth.  Harry had never seen him so mad in all his life.  

Vernon let go of Harry's throat, only to replace it on his arm.  He twisted it around, bending it backwards at the elbow.  Harry cried out in pain.

"No….Don't break it!  Stop!"   But Vernon kept bending it backwards until he heard a distinct crack, followed by an earsplitting scream from Harry.  Harry fell the floor, cradling his broken arm.  But Harry's arm wasn't the only thing that had snapped.  Harry had snapped too.  His fear was replaced by sheer rage, even though his arm was broken.  Enough was enough.  

With energy he didn't know he had, Harry brought back his leg and kicked it forward straight into uncle Vernon's balls, sending him crashing to the floor with a horrific thud.  Right at that moment, Sirius had come flying into the room.  Seeing the blood on Harry's lip and the awkward angle that his arm was in was enough for Sirius.  Shit had hit the fan.  

Without the use of a wand, Sirius was left with only hand to hand combat, which he was more than willing to use.  He launched himself at Vernon, who had now pulled himself into a slight standing position, only to get knocked back down as Sirius hit him.  He landed beside Harry, who quickly pushed himself out of the way of the fight.  His energy was spent, and he was in a considerable amount of pain.  Sirius grabbed Vernon in a headlock and began pounding his fist into his face.  

"Doesn't feel good, does it!" he screamed into Mr. Dursley's face, throwing him to the floor.  Vernon, who was an incredibly fat person who just couldn't take a beating of this magnitude, had fallen to the floor and was in a state of near unconsciousness.  "You're not worth it."  Sirius slowly made his way over to where Harry was sitting propped up against the wall.  

"Are you alright?"  he asked.  He noticed just how pale Harry had gotten and was beginning to worry about him.  Of course, he did have a broken arm.  

"Oh yeah, I'm just great.  My arm's broken, dimwit, get me out of here."  He smiled weakly at Sirius to let him know that he wasn't mad at him.  "Don't go blaming yourself now, we didn't know he was here."  

"I shouldn't have let you come up here by yourself.  You do realize that everybody is going to kill me, don't you?"  He said, quite seriously.

"No, they won't.  It was not your fault!  Besides, if they try to kill you, they'll have to take on me."  Harry had started to gasp between breaths.  The pain from his arm was hitting him full force.  

Sirius lifted Harry up in his arms and carried him out of the room, throwing Vernon a glance, who was at this point fully unconscious on the floor, before exiting the room.  "By the way, that was a really good kick you got in there."  Sirius was really proud of the way Harry had stood up for himself.

"Yeah, that felt good." Harry smiled at the memory.

Okay, I'm really gonna leave it here for now.  Review and you will get the next chapter.  Possibly tonight if you review enough.  Although, I can't review past midnight.  Sorry.  I will try and update everyday, although I can't this weekend, because it's my birthday bash.  I fully intend to get drunk.  Later.  


	3. Revenge

Okay, for those of you who needed more info about my hamster to name it, here goes:  They say that it is big for a hamster, but I wouldn't know.  It looks fat to me.  It's black and has beady black eyes.  It looks kind of evil, now that I think about it.  It's probably a Death Eater in disguise.  Not really.  Anyways, it sleeps all day and is awake at night.  It's scared of the kids, so it starts squealing anytime you take it out of the cage.  So, if this helps ya name it, name it for me.  I still need a name, and pronto.  Give it to me in your reviews, if ya would.  

Disclaimer: Don't own the characters, that one lady does.  

Sirius had just stepped out of the fireplace and into the Weasley's living room with Harry in his arms.  Thankfully, there was only Hermione and Ginny in the room, and Sirius thought he would have a minute before all hell broke lose.  He was wrong.  

Hermione had shot up off the couch so fast you would have thought she was on fire.  "What the hell happened to him!" she screamed.  Ginny had immediately burst into tears, as that was what she did best, cry.

At Hermione's outburst, everyone in the house came running into the living room from all directions, it would have looked amusing, had the situation not been so serious.  Mrs. Weasley had made it to Sirius's side in record time, taking in Harry's battered form, for the second time in less than two months.  She gave Sirius a glare that would have frightened the most powerful wizard.  "What happened?"  she asked.

"It's my fault.  I let him go upstairs by himself.  I thought the place was deserted.  It looked deserted.  If I had thought there was any danger, I would have never let him go up there by himself."  Sirius said dejectedly.  He would be thankful if he got out of this without a curse being thrown at him.  "His uncle was upstairs packing some clothes."  

"Oh my."  Mrs. Weasley looked about ready to kill someone as the realization of what happened started to kick in.  

"How could you let this happen!" screamed Ron in frustration.  He just knew that Harry wouldn't ever let his guard down again after this encounter with his uncle.

"I didn't _let anything happen to him, young man.  You know I would never purposely put Harry in danger."  Sirius was mad.  Really mad.  _

Ron looked slightly ashamed at having gone off on Sirius like that.  He knew that Sirius loved Harry like his own son.  "I know Sirius, I'm sorry.  This is just upsetting.  What if he gets all mad again?" he asked worriedly.

"I don't think you'll have to worry about that.  After his uncle broke his arm, he retaliated.  You all would have been very proud of him." said Sirius, not seeing the look on Mr. Weasley's face.  

"He broke his arm?"  Mrs. Weasley and Hermione were suddenly at Sirius's side again, looking at Harry's newly broken arm.  They hadn't noticed it before.  It didn't look broken until you got right up on it.  

"Where is Mr. Dursley?" asked Mr. Weasley.  

"He's unconscious in Harry's old room, why?"  asked Sirius, who had laid Harry down on the couch.  A sense of déjà vu had come over the Weasley's.  This was almost exactly what had happened the last time Harry was brought here, except with different injuries and on a different night.  

"No reason." Mr. Weasley was at the fireplace, had thrown in floo powder and was gone before anyone had time to think of what he was about to do.  

"Uh-oh." said Ron, Fred, and George in unison.  

Mrs. Weasley looked almost frantic.  "He's going to do something he'll regret.  He's going to lose his job.  He's gone mad."  She kept going on about how Mr. Weasley had lost his mind, but Sirius had already followed her husband into the fireplace.  

Sirius stepped into the Dursley's living room for the second time that day.  As he was about to follow the route that Harry had taken earlier, he was suddenly bumped into from behind.  He swung around, expecting to see Mr. Dursley, instead he found Ron, Hermione, Fred, and George.

"What do the lot of you think you're doing?" he asked.

"We thought we could help." said Ron innocently.   

"And what does your mother have to say about this?" 

"Oh, she agrees with us.  You might need some help to calm down our dad.  He's an angry sort, ya know."  said George.  Sirius didn't buy it for a second.  

"I want the truth, now!" he was tired of these games, and needed to stop Mr. Weasley from doing something harmful to Mr. Dursley.  Maybe.

"We snuck past mum when she was tending to Harry." said Ron, hanging his head.  

"Alright, you need to go back then.  You're mother's going to have a fit."  

"Like hell!" said Fred and George at the same time.  "We want to see this."  With that, they had rushed past Sirius and were on their way upstairs, the others hot on their heels.  

"You little…" but Sirius was running after them.  

They burst through Harry's door and stopped short.  Sirius had to grab hold of the door frame to keep from slamming into the others.  Before them was the oddest sight any of them had ever seen.  Mr. Weasley was standing back by the door, with the slightest of grins on his face.  Vernon Dursley, however, was standing by the window, illuminated by the light filtering in through the window, with a look of abstract horror on his face.  Rather, both of his faces.  Vernon Dursley had two heads, neither of which were pretty to look at.  He was stumbling drunkenly around the room.  His double heads were messing up his balance.  

"What is this?  What have you done to me?"  It was rather weird watching both heads speaking at the same time, creating a sort of disgusting harmony.  The heads kept looking at each other, looking as if they were going to throw up.  Now that would be a sight to see.  

"Way to go dad!" yelled out the twins.  Arthur, startled at the sound of his children's voices, nearly jumped in shock.  

"What are you doing here?" Arthur certainly didn't want his kids seeing him breaking ministry rules.  But then again, it was for a good cause.

"Watching the master at work." said Sirius.  "I wish I would have thought of that."  

Arthur smiled sheepishly at those gathered in the room.  "You did not just see me do that."

"Of course we didn't." said Ron.  "Leave him like that dad, and let the ministry deal with him."

"They won't be able to prove it was you, you'll have alibis from all of us, plus Mrs. Weasley and I'm sure Harry will be more than willing to back you up."  said Hermione.  The others looked incredulously at her.  "What?"  

"Nothing." said Ron.  

"You will not leave me in this state!  I look disgusting!  Undo this….this magic, at once!"  Vernon looked like he was about to have a hernia.  His faces had both turned beet red and he was stomping the floor with his large foot.  Ron was waiting for steam to come rolling out of his ears.  

"You're right," said Mr. Weasley.  Vernon seemed to relax somewhat at this statement. "Let's leave him for the ministry."  He smiled smugly at Vernon as his faces seemed to drop.  "Don't you ever come near Harry again, or you will regret it."  Mr. Dursley looked on the verge of telling them exactly what he thought about Harry when Arthur spoke back up.  "I'm sure you'd look excellent with a third head."  Vernon closed his mouth.  "Have a good day." 

*************************************************************

 They arrived back at the house to see that Harry had woke up and was sitting quietly on the couch.  They were surprised when Madame Pomfrey came bustling into the living room, acting as if she owned the place.  Looking slightly startled herself, she paused momentarily to see who had just appeared in the room.  

"Your wife sent for me." she told Mr. Weasley after seeing the confused looks upon their faces.  "I've healed his arm and the cut on his lip.  He'll be fine."  She quickly went up to Harry and placed a warm cup of soup in his hands.  "Eat." she ordered.  

"Yes, your majesty."  He said, and smiled up at her.  She smiled back and quickly left the room.

"Doing better I see." said Sirius.  He was glad to see his godson smile.  He hadn't seen it in quite a while.  

"Just peachy."  he said.  "I hear you went back to my uncle's house.  What did you do?"  

"Oh, the usual." replied Ron in a whispery voice.  "Picked up some books you left in your room, locked the front door, and turned your uncle into a two headed freak."  He said as nonchalantly as possible, trying desperately not to crack up.  Harry nearly choked on his soup. 

"What!?  Are you serious?"  

"As a heart attack."

"Which one of you did it?"  Harry couldn't believe his ears.  

"I did."  Arthur Weasley looked like he had just confessed of murder.  

Harry suddenly became very serious.  "Mr. Weasley."  Arthur looked up into Harry's bright green eyes, thinking something was wrong.  "You…..are my hero, man."  Harry's grin made his face light up.  "Thanks."

"Anytime, Harry, anytime."

*************************************************************

Okay, I hope you guys liked that chapter.  I'm slowly slipping into a fit of writer's block.  I can just feel it.  I won't be able to update tomorrow, like I normally would.  IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!  Happy happy, joy joy.  Thanks to Jaimey for wishing me an early happy birthday.  Thanks to those of you who tried to come up with a name for my hamster.  Review often and I promise I might update again tonight.  I couldn't last night because my aunt showed up.  Well, later.  Arwen.  


	4. Where's Harry?

Disclaimer:  The usual, I don't own the characters.  If I forgot to put this in any of my other chapters, then this goes for them too.

I'm getting sick of my own story, so I'm going to up it into the future a smidge.  It's going to be right before they return to Hogwarts.  Like, the day before.  Here goes.  Excuse my writing if it sucks, I'm still trying to get through my writer's block.  Please be kind in your reviews.  

*************************************************************

Harry and Ron were sitting in their shared room discussing how they were going to get to Hogwarts the next day.  Dumbledore had insisted that there be protections put up at the Burrow while Harry was still staying there.  He also made certain that Harry wasn't left unprotected.  He wasn't allowed to go anywhere unless Mr. Weasley was with him.  As annoying as this was to Harry, he knew it had to be done.  He wouldn't be any help to anyone if he was dead.  

"I heard dad talking to mum last night and he said that he was going to accompany you all the way to Hogwart's front doors.  He's taking his responsibilities very seriously.  "said Ron who was lying lazily on his bed.  

"You're telling me.  I see him everywhere I go.  He's trying to act all conspicuous, but it's not working.  I noticed him following me to the bathroom the other day, the bathroom for Merlin's sake." said Harry, chuckling at the memory.  "What does he think is going to happen?  I highly doubt that Voldemort is going to pop out of the toilet and attack me.  He'd be too grossed out by all the poo."  

"Poo?  Did you just say poo?"  Ron had starting laughing so hard that tears were coming to his eyes.  

"Shut up!" said Harry defensively, but laughing all the same.  

Ron was glad to see Harry in a light-hearted mood.  He hadn't been such a crab since he beat the crap out of his uncle, and was better for it.

"When are we leaving?"

"Um….dad said around 8, I think."  

"Why so bloody early?"  asked Harry.  "We don't have to be at school until this evening?"

"You know my dad.  Has to make sure everything is safe.  It will take him two hours just to make sure the train hasn't been invaded by evil doers." 

Harry laughed at the thought of Mr. Weasley scouring the train.

His train of thought was interrupted when Mrs. Weasley came scurrying into the room.  "It's time you two got into bed.  You've got a busy day tomorrow.  Hurry now, off to bed."  She said, waving her arms at them.  

"Yes, mum." said Ron.  He quickly crawled underneath the covers of his bed and Harry did the same.  

"I'll see you in the morning, sleep tight."  

"Night, Mrs. Weasley."

*************************************************************

"Get up!" 

Harry rolled over in his bed, trying to discern where he was.  For a moment he thought he was still at the Dursley's and a trickle of dread swept through him.  

"We're late, move it!"  Mrs. Weasley's voice broke through his rather frightening thoughts.  

"Thank the heavens." He breathed out.

"What?" asked Ron groggily from underneath his blankets.

"Nothing.  Apparently, we are late, so get up!" 

Ron threw the covers off of him and shot up out of bed.  "How late?"

Harry looked down at the watch on his wrist, a new one that he got for his birthday, and looked back up at Ron with a look of annoyance on his face.

"It's only 8: 20." He said flatly.

Ron gave the bedroom door a look of disgust before lying back down and drawing the covers back over his head.  "mother." He muttered.

All of a sudden a voice came booming through the bedroom door.  

"Don't you lie back down Ron Weasley!  Get up!  Now!" screamed Molly.

Ron, for the second time in ten minutes, shot up out of bed, looking quite frazzled.  "Yes mum!" he yelled, quickly moving to get out of bed.  

Harry laughed.

"Shut up."

*************************************************************

Thirty minutes and a quick breakfast later, found the whole Weasley clan, along with Hermione and Harry, in the living room.  

"Is everybody ready?" asked Mr. Weasley.  

"Yep."  

"Alright then, we'll all go to the Leaky Cauldron by floo powder, and then we will go to the station from there."  

Mr. Weasley stepped up to the fireplace and threw in the floo powder, turning the fire a bright green color.  "Leaky Cauldron!" he yelled and stepped into the fire and was gone.  Hermione and the rest of the Weasley's, except for Mrs. Weasley, followed this procedure. 

"Okay Harry, you go next." Mrs. Weasley handed Harry the floo powder.  He threw in the powder, said "Leaky Cauldron," and was gone.   Molly quickly followed suit and was soon standing beside her husband in an upstairs bedroom of the Leaky Cauldron.  Glancing around, she quickly saw that everyone was looking at her oddly.  

"Where's Harry?" 

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I hope you guys liked this one.  I'm trying to get a little more suspense and such into this story, so it's not so boring.  I'm going to try, at least.  I hope you review and constructive criticism is welcome.  I love cliffhangers.  Review and you'll get the next chapter sometime in the near future.  Lots and lots of reviews.  


	5. The Escape

Disclaimer:  You guys know the drill still.  I don't own 'em.  Never will.  

Just so you know, my hamster has been named.  It is called Roady.  Don't ask me why, it just is.  We'll actually it is because he is a rodent, therefore: Roady.  Anyways, my birthday has come and gone, so thanks for all the belated happy birthdays!  Okay, on with the story.

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"What do you mean, where's Harry?"  asked Mrs. Weasley,  who was about to be dragged into the throws of panic.  "He came through in front of me.  I watched him.  Didn't he come out?"

"NO!" yelled Ron.  "I just knew something like this was going to happen.  What if you-know-who has him?  What if something bad happens?  What if he dies?  What are we going to do?"

"Calm down, Ron.  We just have to think logically, here." said Mr. Weasley, who was pacing the floor.  "We should contact Dumbledore immediately.  He'll want to know what is happening.  Molly, you go ahead and take the children to Hogwarts, they'll be safe there.  I'm going to go get Sirius and tell him what's happened.  I know he'll want to aid in the search.  Run along now." He said, pushing them out the door.  "Don't worry, we'll find him."  

As soon as they had stepped outside of the room, Mr. Weasley had disapparated.  

"I hope he's okay."  said Ron, who looked incredibly worried and scared all at the same time.

"Me too, Ron, me too."  said Hermione. 

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As soon as Harry had stepped into the fire, he felt an odd pull, like he was being dragged from the direction he should be going into another one.  A direction he didn't want to go in.  He was suddenly hurled into a very dark room.  He stood up slowly from the floor and looked around.  It was hard to see because of the gloom, but he could tell he was in some kind of living room.  Although, whoever wanted this as a living room was one screwed up little man.  There was an old decrepit looking arm chair sitting in a corner of the room.  This was one of the only pieces of furniture he could see in the sparsely decorated living area.  The fire from the fireplace was casting an eerie glow on the room itself and he could see the light bouncing off some sort of glass case that stood just beside the chair.  He wasn't sure, but he thought he saw something move just inside the case.  

Braving a closer look, he began to slowly walk up to the glass, taking apprehensive looks around the room, expecting at any moment someone to pounce on him from the shadows.  Taking out his wand, he held it in the air in front of him.  "Lumos." He whispered.  

"I don't think so Mr. Potter."  said an ominous voice from behind him.  Harry spun around only to receive a devastating blow from his unknown assailant.  He slowly turned over and looked up into a face he had seen before.  "Say goodnight. Stupefy."  Harry Potter knew no more. 

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Molly Weasley had hand delivered her children and those whom she considered her children into the hands of Professor Dumbledore herself.  She then refused to leave until they brought Harry back safely.  

"It's quite understandable, wanting to stay, Mrs. Weasley.  I'll have the house elves prepare a room for you."  Dumbledore had been very dismayed to hear the news of Harry's disappearance.  "I'm sure he'll be found soon.  He is a very resilient boy and has a way of getting out of sticky situations." said Dumbledore reassuringly.    

"Just the same, Professor, he's been through a lot.  More than any child his age should have to endure.  I just hope he doesn't have to go through more than he can handle."  

"So do I."  

Suddenly, the doors sprung open to Dumbledore's office and in walked Mr. Weasley along with Sirius Black.  

"Have you found him?" asked Molly.

Mr. Weasley nodded grimly to his wife.  "Not yet.  We've been going through the Floo Network, trying to figure out where he could have gone.  We've looked in all the surrounding fireplaces, and no one has seen him and there is no trace of him.  It's like he disapparated, but that's not possible.  He doesn't know how."  Arthur was getting very frustrated by this point.  He was beginning to think they would never find Harry, alive or otherwise.  

Molly looked on the verge of tears.  She was thinking along the same lines as her husband.  "We have to find him.  I'll never forgive myself if we don't."  Arthur quickly embraced his wife in a tight hug.  

"We'll find him, dear.  I promise."  

Sirius had been standing quietly by the door this whole time.  He didn't know what to think.  If something happened to Harry, he didn't know what he would do.  

"Well, we're not accomplishing anything by standing here, let's get going."  said Sirius, aggravation in his voice.  

Arthur looked up from his wife at Sirius.  He could tell this was tearing him up inside.  They had to find Harry, for everyone's sake.  "Alright then, let's go."

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Harry knew one thing.  His face hurt like the dickens.  He tried to bring his hand up to his face, but it wouldn't budge.  

"What the…"  He realized that his whole upper body was tied to a chair.  Trying not to panic, he looked around trying to regain his bearings.  At first he didn't know where he was, but then it all came flooding back to him.  He was in some room, Merlin only knew where, with a crazed Death Eater and a mysterious something in a glass case over by the ugly chair.  

He looked over and saw his wand sitting on a small table in front of the chair.  He hadn't noticed it before, but it had been quite dark.  The fire behind him was now raging, illuminating most of the room with a vibrant light.  Thankfully, his legs and feet were not tied to the chair.  He had a way to escape, if he could just get to his wand, he didn't want to leave it behind.  

Apparently, however, the deranged Death Eater had other plans.  At that precise moment, the door came open to reveal none other than Lucius Malfoy.  

"Well, well well, Mr. Potter, I see you have decided to grace me with your waking presence."  He strode slowly over to the wooden table chair that Harry was tied to.  "It's a pity it has to end this way, but what my lord asks, I must do."  

"W-What are you t-talking about?"  asked Harry, fear creeping into his voice.  He couldn't help it, he was tied to chair, with very little hope of escaping.

Malfoy stared at the boy in front of him for a few seconds, making Harry nervous.  Time seemed to be going agonizingly slow.  Finally, Malfoy sat down in the disgusting looking arm chair and dragged Harry's chair in front of him.  

"Lord Voldemort has asked that I bring you to him.  He wants the last thing you see before you die to be his face.  And die you shall, Potter, a most excruciating death."  Lucius laughed suddenly, a sickening dull laughter, void of humor.  "Ah, how he has waited for this day.  You defied him many times before, but this time, there is no escape for you."

Harry had begun to tremble in his bonds.  This couldn't be happening.  He couldn't believe it had been so easy for him to be captured.  

"How did you do it?  How did you get me?"  he asked, curiosity getting the better of him.  He once again glimpsed his wand, sitting very close to his body.  

"Easily enough Potter.  Probably something those stupid ministry officials never thought about.  The Floo Network, it is incredibly difficult for one to disrupt the flow of a person's destination, but it can be done.  I put a disruption spell on the network, and put a diverting spell on you.  The network was, let's say, momentarily confused, and along with its help and my spell, you were sent to another destination, your destiny, so to say.  Death's doorstep."  The evil cackling laugh had once again made itself known to Harry.    However, while Malfoy had been telling his tale, Harry had inched himself ever closer to his wand, and his hand was just barely touching the tip of it.  With one swift movement, Harry had seized his wand, and quickly hid it up his sleeve, and settled back into his chair, with a false look of terror still etched upon his face.  With his other hand, he was holding a small package that he had finally managed to get out of his pocket.  A difficult task, with his hands tied to his side.  

"Now, perhaps we should be on our way, shall we?" asked Malfoy, swiftly standing up from the dilapidated chair, and taking his eyes off of Harry.  Seeing his chance, Harry quickly stood up and swung himself and the chair sideways, hitting the glass case and breaking it into a million pieces, which went shattering all over Lucius.  He shrunk back away from the glass.  However, he wasn't fast enough and was cut.  Harry, seeing that Malfoy was out of commission for the moment, made a mad dive for the fireplace and brought out the package in his hands.  With the little leverage he had in his hands, since he was still tied to a chair, he threw it into the fire, and it immediately glowed green.  

"Hogwarts!" he screamed and jumped into the fire.  He thought he felt something grab hold of the chair, but when he fell out of a fireplace in Hogwarts, there was nothing with him.  He clumsily got to his feet and half ran half hobbled out of the room.  He was just down the hall from Professor McGonagall's office and headed that way as fast as he could.  When he reached the door, he began pounding on it by banging the chair against it.  A very angry looking McGonagall answered the door.  

"What is the meaning of all this noise…Harry!" she yelled.  She quickly did a releasing spell on the ropes and they fell to the floor, along with his chair.  He immediately began rubbing some feeling back into his arms.  McGonagall grabbed Harry by the shoulders and held him at arms length, trying to discern whether or not he was seriously injured.  She brought her hand to his head to inspect the wound that he had acquired thanks to Malfoy, and he flinched in response.  When she brought her hand back, he saw blood.  He hadn't realized his head was bleeding.  

"What happened?  How did you hurt your head?  Do you feel dizzy, nauseous?"  It seemed to Harry that she was talking way too fast.  

"I am kind of dizzy." He said flatly.  The events of the night had begun to take their toll, and he was beginning to feel sick to his stomach.  "I think I'm going to pass out." He said suddenly and was dropping to the floor before McGonagall had time to catch him.  

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Stopping now.  I'm mean, I know.  Be grateful I didn't stop sooner, like a normal person.  But I was on a role, and thought I should write it down before I forgot it.  Is anyone still wondering what was in the glass case?  I'm not sure yet what I want it to be, but I'll think of something interesting.  Just so everyone knows, college just started this week and I will find it difficult to write as many updates as usual.  So just hang in there, I should be able to at least get one or two chapters up a week.  I'll try to make them long too.  Well, review, as usual.  Later.  


	6. Nightmares

People seem to want me to put Snape into this story.  I might, if I feel like it.  Even though he isn't one of my favorite characters, I could put him in.  If you want me to, review and I'll see what I can do.  If not, review too.  Anyways, thanks, as always, for the reviews.  You people are awesome.  

So, here goes.

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Voices.  He knew he heard them, he just couldn't figure out what the heck was going on.  Pain.  He could feel that too.  Slowly, he became aware that he was lying on his back on something soft, apparently a bed, but he also became aware of the fact that he couldn't move very well either.  It hurt too much.  Then the voices came through again, only this time they were more understandable.

"Is he ever going to wake up?"  He knew who that voice belonged to.  It was Ron.  "It's been over a day.  Is this natural?"  

"He's been through a horrible ordeal Ronald Weasley.  It takes time.  His body needs to heal, and sleeping is a good way to get it done."  That sounded like Madame Pomfrey.  

"Still, it's been over twenty-four hours.  Shouldn't he have woken up by now?  At least once?  He hasn't even moved since you put him in here."  Harry slowly unraveled his eyelids and looked up at the people standing over his bed as Hermione finished talking.  No one had even noticed he was awake, so he decided to stay still and see how long it took them.  

"Really, I am also worried about him.  He could have some sort of head injury, and is in a coma or something.  Can't you make him wake up?"  Harry had almost jumped as this voice came ringing through, he hadn't realized that Sirius was even in the room.  Yet, there he was, standing slightly hidden behind Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.  Apparently he was the main attraction at this school.  Everyone he knew was in the room, well almost.  It was really just the people who would normally be here.  Dumbledore, however, seemed absent.  

"It's not necessary to forcefully wake him up, I assure you.  And believe me, he does not have a head injury.  It was just a slight break in the skin, and head wounds bleed a lot, even if it isn't a deadly one."  Madame Pomfrey was getting agitated by this point.  Harry himself was getting annoyed with all the questions.  Time to speak up. 

"For the love of Pete, I'm awake.  Now get over it."  Harry spoke so suddenly that everyone in the room had jumped backwards.  

"You're awake!" gasped Ron.  He was at Harry's side so quickly that he had hardly noticed Ron moved.  "You really gave us a scare."

"Yeah, well.  I'm fine."  Harry looked dutifully at his sheets then, suddenly very interested in the fabric.  He finally glanced up and saw that everyone in the room looked apprehensive.  "What?" 

"It's nothing Harry.  We just really thought we lost you that time."  said Mrs. Weasley from the back, tears springing to her eyes.  "It was terrifying when you didn't show up at the Leaky Cauldron." She paused then, looking questioningly at Professor Dumbledore, who had just entered the room, and then apparently making a decision, spoke.  "Can you tell us what happened?"  Everyone's heads shot up in interest, they too wanted to know what happened.  

Once again, Harry found the sheets extremely interesting.  He kept glancing up and then looking back down at the sheets.  "Harry, if you don't want to talk about it yet, you don't have to." Mr. Weasley said, speaking up for the first time.  

"I really don't mind.  It's just weird."  Harry took a deep breath, looked up into the faces of his friends, his true family, and started talking.  "It was Lucius Malfoy actually.  He somehow rigged the Floo Network so that I would come to him instead of to the Leaky Cauldron.  He was going to take me to….Voldemort."  He stopped suddenly, remembering what Voldemort would have done to him if he hadn't escaped.  He would have killed him.  Painfully.  

"Harry?"  Hermione had become concerned when her friend had abruptly stopped talking.  Harry looked up and into her eyes.  He knew they were all worried about Harry constantly being under attack by Voldemort and his followers.  "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."  He took another deep breath and continued with his story.  They had all gasped when he told them that Lucius was taking him to be killed.  They were even more surprised by his daring escape.  

"What was in the glass case?"  asked Ron out of curiosity.  

"I don't know.  I couldn't see in it.  I hope it got away though, whatever it was.  It couldn't have liked being caged up like that."  The others nodded in agreement, although it could have been some kind of killer animal under command of Lucius Malfoy.  But Harry highly doubted that.  Although he didn't know why.  

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Harry had missed the first day of school because of his abduction and recovery.  Therefore, the teachers had all had the assignments brought to him through either Hermione or Ron.  

"We didn't really have much homework in any of the classes, being the first day and all, but we did have some in McGonagall's and Snape's classes.  Shocking, I know."  Ron had thrown the assignments on the table beside Harry's bed and sat down in exhaustion.  It had been a hectic first few days.  

Harry grinned slightly at Ron.  "I can't wait to get to classes."  Ron and Hermione looked at Harry as if he had just grown another head.  "I just want something to keep my mind off of other things."  He said casually.  He didn't want his friends thinking he was going to go off and have a nervous breakdown.  Too late.

"What have you been thinking about?" asked Hermione worriedly.  "Is there anything you want to talk about?"

'What do you think I've been thinking about, sheesh.'  He thought to himself before adding out loud, "Well, you know.  Everything, Voldemort," He was getting really annoyed at everyone for flinching when he said his name, "Cedric, the usual."  He said and began to look through his homework assignment from Snape.  

"You know, you can talk to us whenever you like.  We'll be here for you."  Hermione was acting like an after school special, but he knew she was just trying to help.  

"I know Hermione."  He had noticed that Ron also thought that Hermione was acting sappy towards him, but he also agreed with her.  He would be there for him too.  

"Well, I guess we had better be getting to bed.  Got a big day tomorrow.  I'll see you two in the morning." Hermione quickly stood up from the bed and went out the door, waving her hands behind her at the boys in a farewell gesture.  

"Later, Hermione."  yelled Ron and Harry together.  The two boys got into their respective beds and almost immediately fell asleep, one of the two more fitfully than the other.

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_Harry was once again standing inside of a graveyard.  He saw the slumped body on the ground and knew immediately who it was.  Cedric Diggory.  Just wake up!  He kept trying to tell himself this, but it wasn't working.  Suddenly the body rose up from the ground and looked around groggily.  His eyes stopped dead on Harry's.  Harry took an involuntary step backwards.  "Get them out Harry." said the dead boy.  "They won't be able to stop this one.  Get them out, or they will die." He seemed to emphasize the last word by drawing it out in a hiss.  Harry nodded to the dead Cedric, even though he didn't have a clue as to what he was talking about.  He tried to ask but found he couldn't move his lips.  However, the scene around him began to change and he was standing in front of Hogwarts.  He saw Voldemort striding up confidently to the front doors and they swung open as he drew closer.  Then he heard the screams._

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Harry sat bolt right up in bed, cold sweat was drenching his body.  He looked crazily around the room, expecting Voldemort to appear at any moment.  He was vaguely aware that his scar was throbbing, but that was nothing new.   He threw the covers off of his body and jumped up from bed and out of the room.  He noticed he was only in his flannel pajama pants, but he didn't care.  Pajamas be damned.  He ran through the halls and stopped abruptly in front of the gargoyle that lead to Professor Dumbledore's office and swore.  He didn't know the password.  He tried guessing, yelling out anything that came to his mind, but nothing was working.  He was growing very frustrated.  "Please open!  I need you to open, this is important!" he howled at the gargoyle.  Suddenly it sprang open, revealing the staircase.  He looked questioningly at the gargoyle, but it offered no reason for why it had just suddenly decided to open.  He knew that they didn't just open without the password.  "Well, thanks anyways." He said and began to run up the steps.  

"You're welcome."  Harry stopped short, turned around and ran back down the steps, looking up and down the hall.  No one was there, and the gargoyle wasn't the one who had spoken.  He knew no one could have just disappeared in the short time it had taken him to get back down the steps, unless they had an invisibility cloak on.  "Hello?  Is anyone there?"  he asked, cautiously turning in every direction.  He finally gave up on the somewhat creepy voice and return to the drama at hand.  He once again flew up the stairs and almost ran smack dab into the door.  Banging on the door, he started yelling out for Dumbledore to answer the flippin' door.  Harry almost pounded on Dumbledore's chest as the door swung open suddenly.  He stopped in mid pound and looked frantically up into his mentor's face.  

"I had the dream again.  Voldemort is going to attack the school." Harry blurted out.

Dumbledore quickly grabbed Harry by the shoulders and ushered him into his office.  "Sit down child." He forcibly put Harry into the chair as he couldn't seem to do it himself.  A cup of hot cocoa appeared suddenly in front of Harry and he took it without question.  The hot liquid felt good going down his throat.  "Tell me, what happened exactly."  Harry quickly filled the headmaster in on his nightmare from just a few moments ago.  When he had finished, Dumbledore looked gravely at the boy in front of him.  "I was afraid something like this might happen."

"But, he can't get in, can he?"  Harry knew there were spells and such that protected the school, but he also knew that Voldemort was back to full strength and had the capabilities of figuring ways around the protection barriers.  

"Ah, it is possible.  I had hoped it wouldn't come to this."  Harry noticed that Dumbledore was looking extremely old at that point and time.  He wished he didn't have to be the bearer of bad news.  "Can you tell when it will happen?"  He knew Harry could see future events as well as events happening at the present time.  

"I'm not entirely sure.  I don't think it's going to be for a while, actually.  No real reason, I just feel that way."  he said, shrugging his shoulders. 

"I want you to keep me informed of any more dreams that you might have, as they might help us to determine when the attack is to take place."  He noticed that Harry was unconsciously rubbing his scar.  "Does it hurt?"

"What?" Harry was confused.  

Dumbledore pointed at Harry's head and Harry glanced up.  "Oh.  Yeah, it hurts a little, not as bad though."  He said, shrugging his shoulders yet again.

"Keep me informed of that as well.  Now, you had better get back to bed.  Sleep tight."  Harry stood up, nodded his head at Dumbledore, and walking quickly back to his room.  As he said the password to the fat lady he couldn't help but wonder who had let him into Dumbledore's office.  

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Please review.  Lots of reviews.  By the way, if you guys want me to email you when I update, just put your email addresses in your review and I will be glad to email you when I update.  This will probably be only once a week now that school has started.  Well, have a good weekend.  Happy whatever holiday Monday is.  I forget.  Later,

Shadowarwen.   


	7. Visions

Disclaimer:  Don't own them, never will.  If I forgot to put this on the last one, which I think I did, this goes for it as well.  

Sorry this took so long guys, I tried to get started on it at the library, but alas, I couldn't.  Yeah, I was beginning to think you died or something JaimeyKay.  I hope I just spelled your name right.  Anyways, just keep the reviews coming and tell me if you like the story or if it is getting boring, then I'll jazz it up a bit.  But I can tell you now I have something very interesting planned for future chapters.  Suspenseful, I know.  Anyways, I'll stop gabbing now.  Enjoy the story.

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Classes were harder than ever.  Harry was having a hard time keeping up with his homework, his dreams, and quidditch practice all at the same time.  Plus, he kept on wondering who it was that let him into Professor Dumbledore's office.  He remembered the voice had sounded almost feminine, but old.  It was a slight hiss, as well.  He was hoping that he wasn't hearing some ancient snake that was wondering around invisible in the castle.  He doubted it, though.

The first quidditch match was to be tomorrow.  He had been looking forward to it since school started, even if it was against Slytherin.  He was hoping that flying on his broom would help relieve some of the tension that had been mounting ever since last year.  As he entered the Great Hall for breakfast he noticed that both Hermione and Ron were waving at him hysterically.  He hurried over to their table and sat down beside his two best friends.

"Hey.  What's going on?"  he asked.

"Oh, nothing much.  It's just that the greatest sorceress who ever lived is coming here sometime this year.  No one knows when she's coming, but she is definitely coming here.  Every school of witchcraft and wizardry has been trying to get her to come to their school for hundreds of years.  She's very, very old."  said Hermione knowledgably. 

 "In fact," pitched in Ron, "they say no one really knows how old she is.  She's older than Dumbledore, that's what I heard at least."  

"Whoa." said Harry, not really knowing what else to say.  He didn't know what was so amazing about some old lady who was coming here.  So he figured he'd ask.  "Well, what's the big deal about her?  If she's so great, as you say, and has been around for hundreds of years, why didn't she put a stop to Voldemort, I mean, if she's so powerful and all."   

Hermione gave Harry a disapproving look before speaking.  "I have it on good authority that she was away when all that awfulness was happening here, on an even more deadly task than Voldemort would have been.  She was searching for something, but I'm not sure what it would have been.  But they say that she has found the mysterious item and is delivering it personally to Dumbledore.  That is why she is coming.  I just wish we knew what it was."  Harry shrugged, feeling slightly stupid for saying something bad about someone he didn't even know.  

"Sounds interesting.  I wonder when she'll get here."  Harry asked his thoughts out loud to his friends.  

"She's already on her way, it will just take her some time to get here.  She is apparently being led by some of the most powerful witches and wizards in the world.  Whatever it is she has in her possession must be very valuable to garner this much protection.  I can't wait until she gets here."  Hermione looked so excited that the boys almost laughed.  

Their conversation was cut short as the breakfast meal suddenly appeared before them.  Harry and the others helped themselves to a quick bowl of porridge before jumping back up and running to their classes.  They wanted to get there on time today.  Snape had nearly chewed their heads off when they came into class late the day before.  

As they entered the Potions classroom, it was nearly deserted, except for a few other students.  They quickly sat down at a table in the middle of the room and began getting out the supplies for class.  Harry nearly dropped his cauldron on his foot as he was setting his bag on the floor.  Ron laughed at him.

"Oh, shut up Ron!"  he said as he lightly punched him in the arm.  The classroom was quickly filling up and they both quieted down.  Snape finally decided to grace his class with his presence and came hurtling through the door.  The entire room was deathly quiet, except for Draco Malfoy, who talked none the less.  

"Idgit."  said Harry under his breath.  Ron tried to stifle a laugh, but it came out anyways.

"Mr. Weasley, would you care to tell the class exactly what you find so humorous that you had to disturb my classroom?"  Snape looked ready to throw daggers at anyone that moved this morning.  

"Uh….nothing's funny Professor, sir."  mumbled Ron, practically incoherently. 

"That's what I thought Weasley.  Ten points from Gryffindor, for disturbing my classroom."  said Snape, glaring all the while at Ron and Harry.   

"Damnit!" hissed Ron under his breath so only Harry and Hermione could hear him.  

"Shhhh….He'll hear you." whispered Hermione.  They looked up just in time to see Snape still staring at them.  If looks could kill, they'd be dead by now.  

"Alright class, let's get on with the lesson before Mr. Weasley or his cohorts decide to interrupt again."  Ron looked ready to spit fire, but kept his cool.  However, hearing Malfoy snickering from the other side of the room was about to drag him overboard.  Just as he was about to fly across the table and physically attack Draco, he felt Harry suddenly slump beside him.  The extra weight that he was suddenly supposed to carry sent him to the ground, dragging Harry with him.  He pushed Harry off of himself and sat up, looking down into his friend's face.  What he saw there scared him more than anything ever had before.  Harry had gone from slightly pink cheeks to deathly pale in two seconds.  He looked like he was having trouble breathing, and the scariest part were his eyes.  They had glazed over and had turned a weird white color.  You could hardly see his pupils any longer and Ron found that it was difficult to look at his friend's eyes for a long period of time.  They were just too bright.  He also noticed that the lightening shaped scar now stood out even more than usual against his too pale skin.  As Harry gasped for breath, Ron began to panic.

He hadn't even noticed that Hermione had gotten down on her knees beside him and that half the class was standing over their shoulders.  The only ones who didn't seem concerned were Draco and his friends, who sat nonchalantly at their desk as if nothing had happened.  

"He can't breathe!  He can't breathe!  What do we do?" Ron had started to scream at this point, believing that his friend was dying before his very eyes.  However, as quick as it had begun, it ended.  Harry's eyes suddenly cleared and he sat up, scaring those around him half to death.  He looked around the room as if he didn't know where he was.  Snape had finally made it through the mass of students and knelt down next to the teen.  

"Go to the hospital wing, Potter.  You look like hell."  He stated flatly, before standing up once again and moving back to the front of the class.  "Granger, Weasley, escort him there."  

Ron and Hermione grabbed both of Harry's hands and hauled him to his feet.  He swayed a bit, but his friends had a strong hold on him.  

"Ready?" asked Ron, still shaking from the intense scene that he had just witnessed.

"Yeah, ready."  said Harry, just as shakily.  They both quickly steered Harry out of the room and into the hallway, waiting until they were absolutely sure they were alone before asking the question they both desperately wanted the answer to.

"What the bloody hell was that?"  asked Ron.

"The vision from hell."  replied Harry.  

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Okay, you know me, gotta stop here, just keeping it real.  Actually I need to brainstorm a little more for the next chapter.  Tell me if ya like it or not.  And just so you know (again) if you want me to email you when I update this, just give me your email address when you review.  I'll try to get the next one up as soon as possible.  Later.  Shadowarwen.  


	8. Falling

Disclaimer:  I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters and the like.  The usual.

Well, I am really, really, really, really sorry, sorry, sorry for not updating until now.  I know I usually get these up faster, but I've been having problems getting to a computer, as mine is being taken over by my psychotic roommates.  I am beginning to dislike people.  Except for you guys, because you are awesome.  Oh, and I was added to a favorite's list.  I am so excited! Ya!  Thank you Sara Ane.  I'm glad you like this.  Okay, I know you said not to ask, but what happened to your finger?  I hope it is better now, JaimeyKay. Anyways, I'll shut up now and get on with the story. 

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"I'm pretty sure that this vision was from the present day."

Hermione, Ron, and Dumbledore were all seated around Harry's bed in the Hospital Wing.  As soon as Hermione had made sure Harry was in the capable hands of Madame Pomfrey she had rushed out of the room to retrieve Dumbledore.  When they had returned, Harry was resting comfortably in a bed with Ron at his side.  Madame Pomfrey had given him a relaxation potion.

"Why's that?" asked Ron.

"I just knew.  Voldemort was in it.  He was talking to someone, I think it was Lucius, because he got the cruatious curse put on him for his "incompetence", as Voldemort said.  Then he mentioned that the attack would be soon.  He said as soon as "she" arrived, they would act.  What does he mean Dumbledore?  Do you think that sorceress has anything to do with this?"  Harry asked worriedly.

Dumbledore frowned at this new bit of information.

"I fear that Voldemort will try to take the item that Prudence has in her possession.  I must warn her.  Harry, did Voldemort say anything else?"

Harry seemed to contemplate this question for a moment before answering.  

"I believe he did.  He did say that none of this would be necessary if you hadn't let it escape.  Do you think he was talking about the thing in the glass case?  It had to have gotten out when I broke it." replied Harry.  

"I believe you're right, Harry.  However, I haven't a clue what it was.  Are you sure you didn't see any part of it?" asked Dumbledore.

"No, I didn't.  I haven't got the foggiest clue to what it could be either."  Harry seemed downcast at not being able to help further.

"Don't worry Harry, it will all come together in the end.  Now, you need to rest.  I hear that last vision was somewhat troublesome?" Dumbledore looked down worriedly at his student.  "Do be careful."

"I will professor.  Do you know why I reacted that way?"  Harry was dying to know why.

"Actually, I was quite flabbergasted by your reaction.  Neither I nor the other professors have ever heard of anything of the kind."

Harry was quite put out by this. He was hoping that the headmaster could shed some light on the situation.  Apparently not.  

"By the way, I wasn't going to mention it, because it was the most disgusting this I have ever witnessed, but there's more to my vision."  Harry said suddenly.

Ron, Hermione, and the headmaster all looked up in surprise.

"I know, I should have said something before, but it was almost as if the memory had been pushed away and it just suddenly popped back up.  Believe me, I would rather have repressed it and never though of it again."  Harry shuddered at the thought of what he was about to say.  The sight alone would give him nightmares.

"Well, tell us Harry!"  blurted out Ron, who was quickly backhanded by Hermione.

"Show some decency Ron, this is hard for him."  Ron blushed furiously before looking at Harry apologetically.  

"Sorry."

"It's okay."  Harry took a deep breath and went with his story.  "There was another man there, he looked to be middle aged and was trying his best to stay brave, but he was about to crack.  Voldemort kept asking where "she" was.  What was her location?  Was it true that she carried the staff?"  Dumbledore practically fell out of his seat in his hurry to stand up.  He was at Harry's bedside and quickly grasped Harry's shoulders, looking seriously into his eyes.

"Did he mention the name of the staff?  This is very important Harry, think hard."  

Harry thought back to his vision and to the discussion of the staff.  Then he knew.

"Yes.  He said it was called the staff of Egis.  Dumbledore, I'm not sure why, but I believe that Prudence, is that her name?"  Dumbledore nodded in affirmation.  "Well I believe that Prudence has this staff.  She'll be here within a day.  I can feel it."

"I believe you do Harry."

"Professor?" asked Hermione.  Dumbledore quickly turned his head towards her.  "What exactly is the staff of Egis?" she was eager to learn about it.  She had only heard of it once in Hogwarts: A History, but they hadn't gone into detail.  All she knew was that a previous teacher had long ago found it and then hid it.  It didn't say why, however, and she couldn't find any mention of it in any other books.  

"Ah, yes.  It is a very powerful staff.  Few have ever seen it and even fewer know what it looks like.  Most thought it to be a myth.  It is known as the staff of knowledge, strength, and power.  Once it has bonded with a person, they will become the most magnificent wizard or witch ever created."  Dumbledore looked concerned.  "I do hope that Prudence will be able to get it here before Voldemort gets his hands on it.  It was hidden for that purpose, to keep it out of the hands of evil, until it could bond with its soul person.  Harry, what else happened in your vision?"

Harry faltered, not wanting to relive this part of his nightmare.  Part of him wanted to forget it so badly that he could feel it leaving his mind.  Instead, he grasped onto the memory.  "Well," He looked over at Hermione, wondering whether or not he should say this in front of her.

"Go ahead, it won't bother me."

"Don't be so sure." This garnered looks from the whole lot of them.  "Alright, here goes.  The man never cracked, although I sure thought he was going to.  Like it would have done him much good anyways, since he was in the hands of Voldemort." Harry shuddered.  "Well, the man continued to refuse, no matter how much pain Voldemort put him through, and then he just got fed up.  He was infuriated.  Voldemort said something that sounded like rip, and all of the skin was pulled from this man's body.  You could see everything underneath, the muscles, blood, veins.  It was utterly disgusting.  The man just stood there and screamed for a few more minutes before he fell over, dead.  I think he was one of the escorts for Prudence.  That's why he was being tortured."  As Harry finished his gory story, he looked around and saw that Ron looked like he was about to be sick and Hermione just looked normal.  

"Wow." said Ron, looking extremely pale.  "That is gross.  That is beyond gross.  I don't know what else to call it."  

Dumbledore laid his hand down on Harry's shoulder in a comforting gesture.  "I am terribly sorry you had to witness that."

"It's okay.  It really wasn't much worse than anything else I've seen lately."  This once again garnered looks from his friends.  Worried looks.  

"Ms. Granger, Mr. Weasley, would you mind staying with Harry?  I've got some business I must take care of."

"Certainly, Professor."  said Hermione.  

Dumbledore, giving Harry's shoulder one last supporting squeeze, rushed from the room.  

"What do you think he's going to do?" asked Ron, watching as the door slammed shut.

"Probably went to figure out where exactly that Prudence woman is.  I wonder if she really has that staff.  I've only heard of it once.  It must be very powerful indeed."  Hermione looked incredibly excited at the prospect of seeing an ancient staff.  "I can't wait until she gets here."

Harry, however, looked apprehensive.  "If she brings the staff here, wouldn't that mean that Voldemort would show up here as well?"

"Oh, Harry, you know that he can't get across the protective barriers of the school." said Hermione, knowingly.  Not knowingly enough.  

"My dream says otherwise.  Remember?  The one I had right after I came to the Burrow?"  Ron and Hermione remembered all too well the nightmare he had had, and the events surrounding his return.  

"We know.  Hopefully, it won't actually happen."  Ron looked not in the least bit hopeful.  He knew how accurate Harry's dreams could be.

"Alright, enough of this depressing talk.  You need to go practice.  The Quidditch match is just hours away."  Ron was incredibly excited.  He was wondering who the new Keeper would be.  He had thought about trying out, but didn't think he had the necessary skills.  

Harry just laughed at his best friend and allowed Hermione and Ron both to help escort him out of the Hospital Wing, since Madame Pomfrey had given him the all clear.  

"I don't think I'll be practicing today Ron.  But guys, what happens if I have one of those visions while I'm on my broomstick.  It would be like the dementors were there again, only worse almost.  It was weird, not being able to breathe."  

Ron and Hermione looked very grave.  They hadn't thought about that.  

"Maybe you shouldn't play then."  Hermione didn't want him to play, he could get killed.

"No, I have to play, they need me." 

"Harry…."  said Ron, trying to help where Hermione hadn't.  

"Look, I'm playing, and that's it.  Don't try and talk me out of it.  If I do fall, you guys can help me slow down, alright?"  asked Harry, although it was more of a demand.

"Right." They both said in unison.

"Good."  Harry had begun to regret even mentioning it.

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Sunshine seeped through the curtains of Harry's chambers in Gryffindor tower, falling upon Harry's face and waking him up.  He rolled over, trying to avoid the light, only to nearly fall out of bed as he rolled to far.  

"Ah, forget it."  He said and lazily climbed out of the bed.  He quickly got dressed into his quidditch robes and went downstairs for breakfast before anyone else had even woke up yet.  He had already finished half his meal when the other members of the team started to enter the Great Hall.  

"Good morning, Harry."  said Angelina.

"Morning, Angelina."  replied Harry.  He was still groggy and hardly noticed as half the team said good morning to him.  Finally Ron came in and sat down beside him.  "Come to watch me eat?" 

"No, I came to make you eat."  Said Ron, but had already noticed that Harry was doing a good job without his insistence.  "But, I guess you don't need to be told, do ya?"  Ron had gotten used to making Harry eat right before a game, since he was so nervous.  

"I am perfectly capable of eating on my own, you know."  Harry said, wholeheartedly.  Then he punched Ron lightly in the side.

"What was that for?"  he asked, rubbing his ribs. 

"Oh stop acting like a wuss, I didn't even hit you that hard."   

"You two are acting like a bunch of two year olds."  Hermione had decided to come down and see how Harry was eating as well.

"I'm eating, now leave me alone."  Harry knew his friends all too well.  

"I see." 

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The quidditch game against Slytherin had started out well enough.  However, now they were catching up with Gryffindor.  The score was 20-30 Slytherin.  Harry was about to go tell the new Keeper exactly how things were done, he was not doing well at all.  Perhaps they had made a bad decision in picking him.  He was a sixth year named Francis Corbinbacher.  He had seemed better in the tryouts.  He saw that another score had been made for Slytherin. 'Damnit', thought Harry.  

As he was about to seriously go down and tell Francis how to do his job, he noticed something flying at him at a dangerous speed.  Noticing too late, he got slammed right in the chest by a bludger, and went sprawling off his Firebolt.   He had grabbed hold of the handle, but his fingers were still slipping.  Harry could hear people screaming from below him, but was too busy trying to hang on to care.  He knew that if he hit the ground from this high up, he would be toast.  Granted, it had happened before, but Dumbledore had somehow slowed him down and the ground had been soft from all the rain.  This time, neither was available.  Dumbledore wasn't watching the game this time, and it hadn't rained in weeks.  He only hoped that Hermione had figured out a way to slow him down, and then he fell.  His fingers had slipped.

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Alright, how did ya like that one?  Was it good?  Do I have you cursing me right now?  I'll try and get the next chapter up by Thursday, since I'll have a break between classes and I will try and get into a computer lab.  Review lots!  I love those things!  Thanks, Shadowarwen!


	9. Knowing

Disclaimer:  I don't own these characters.  I only own the plot.  

Yea, I got more reviews!  I am a happy person.  Oh and I was added to another's favorite's list.  My ever devoted reader, JaimeyKay.  *jumping up and down with joy*

Anyways, thanks for the reviews from Ashes, and Aydindril D.  Iyake.  What is up with that name?  Just curious.  I love reviews.  These people reviewed on my last chapter when I thought no one was going to read it.  I was sad.  Then there were many!  WooHoo.  Alright, since everyone seems to think I need to get on with the next chapter and stop torturing them with my cliffhangers, on with the story.

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He felt his breath catch in his throat as the ground came rushing up to greet him.  In reality, however, it was he who was screaming down to greet the earth.  He never knew that falling could take so long.  

Out of nowhere, Harry jerked to a violent stop, mere feet away from the ground.  And there he stayed, hovering above the quidditch field.  He could hear the gasps coming from the crowd surrounding him.

Afraid to move, for fear of falling the rest of the way to the ground, he remained completely still.  He was still a dangerous height in the sky.  Suddenly Ron stood beneath Harry's head, looking up at him.

"Hello, Harry." said Ron, as if Harry wasn't dangling precariously above his head.  Harry had to laugh.

"Hello, Ron.  Did you and Hermione stop me from falling?" he asked.

Ron looked slightly embarrassed as he looked upwards towards his friend.  "No, we couldn't get the spell to work for some reason, Hermione was about to have a fit, and then you just stopped.  How'd ya do it?"  Ron now had a look of amazement on his face.  Harry, on the other hand, looked slightly confused.

"What are you talking about?  I didn't even do anything.  I was just praying to heaven that you guys would stop me before I became one with the grass."  Harry started to relax now as many others were gathering beneath him.  Ron decided not to go further with their conversation since a crowd had gathered.

"Harry, are you alright?  You're not hurt are you?"  Hermione's worried voice easily carried over the voices of all the others.

"I'm fine.  I'm just stuck.  How do I get down?"  At that precise moment it was as if whatever was holding Harry up let go and he fell directly into the group below him.  He carefully untangled himself from the mass of bodies he had landed on and crawled to safety, Ron and Hermione hot on his heels.

"Well, that was fun."  said Harry laughingly.  They watched in amusement as the others tried to untangle themselves.  Once they were finished, they all close din around Harry and began bombarding him with questions.  Just as Harry was beginning to feel overwhelmed, he heard the all too glorious voice of Professor McGonagall yell loudly over their imposing questions.  

"Mr. Potter has had enough of your questioning, students." she said harshly.  "Now please return to your common rooms as this match has been postponed until further notice."

There was a unanimous groan of protest from the entire group, including Harry, Ron and Hermione.

"But professor..."  began Harry.

"No buts young man.  You need to get to the hospital wing for a checkup."  said Professor McGonagall.  "Now, come along."

Harry begrudgingly began to follow the professor away from the other students who were still arguing over the postponement.  As McGonagall lead Harry into the Hospital Wing, Madame Pomfrey came walking up the corridor from another patient.  She stopped short upon seeing Harry enter the room and sighed.  "What have you gotten yourself into this time?"  Madame Pomfrey steered him away from the Transfiguration teacher and onto an awaiting bed. 

"He was struck in the chest by a bludger." said McGonagall in a worried tone.  "Poor child."  Harry rolled his eyes while his teacher wasn't looking.  

"It's nothing serious, it doesn't even hurt." replied Harry.  Madame Pomfrey pressed her hand against his chest and he screamed when she found the place where the bludger had hit him.  He looked sheepishly up at Madame Pomfrey.

"Doesn't even hurt, eh?" asked Madame Pomfrey, looking quite smug.

"Well, maybe a little."  said Harry, who was looking intently at the wall, avoiding the gaze of the two women.

Suddenly, the door burst open and Ron and Hermione nearly fell into the room.  "What wrong?  We heard Harry scream!" shrieked Hermione.  Disregarding the two higher authorities in the room, she ran immediately to Harry's bedside.  Once again Harry rolled his eyes good-naturedly.

"Calm down.  Geez, you act like I'm being tortured."

"Well, with you, one can never know what might be happening to you.  You have been tortured before, you know."  she blurted it out without thinking how it might affect Harry.  She had unceremoniously brought the idea of Voldemort into the equation.  

This time it was Ron who gave Hermione a good whack upside the head.  "Hermione!" hissed Ron, now eyeing Harry like he would break at any moment.

Harry, who had felt a pang of fear at the remembrance of what had happened last year in the torturous hands of Voldemort, looked up to find four pairs of eyes boring into him.

"Harry, I shouldn't have even said that."  Hermione looked on the verge of tears.

"Oh, don't worry about it.  It's in the past."  Harry didn't look convincing.

"You shouldn't put it off so easily, Mr. Potter."  said professor McGonagall.  She gently laid her hand upon his shoulder.  "If ever you need to talk, my door is always open."  She smiled, and with that she left the Hospital Wing.  Madame Pomfrey performed a spell to heal the bruising around Harry's chest and then she too left to deal with other patients.

The three friends had sat together in the Hospital Wing silently for a few more minutes before Harry got uncomfortable with the awkward silence.  

"Well, I feel a whole lot better now, so why don't we go back to the common room?" asked Harry, who had already gotten up off the bed and was walking towards the door, with or without his friends.  Rom and Hermione were quick to follow.  When they reached the picture of the Fat Lady, Hermione said the password and the portrait immediately swung open, allowing them entrance to their common room.

The other Gryffindors were scattered about the room, talking in their various groups in hushed tones.  They all piped up, however, when Harry and friends came in.

"Hey Harry.  That was the neatest thing I've ever seen.  How'd you do that?"  Colin Creevey looked on the verge of passing out from awe.

Harry rolled his eyes at the younger boy and deliberately ignored his question.  Fred and George were a teeny big more persistent.

"Harry Potter!  What the hell was that!?  You stopped in mid air!  That's inhumanely possible.  That's inwizardly possible!  Was it a new spell?  Tell us!"   The twins had bombarded him with their questioning.  Each had taken position on either side of him and as soon as one finished a sentence, the other took off with another question.

Harry finally raised his arms in a silencing gesture.  "Honestly, take a breath you two."  He addressed the twins.  Then said, "I'm really not sure myself how I just did that.  Or if it was me at all."  Harry shrugged his shoulders and looked at the faces before him.  They all looked disappointed, as if they were expecting him to dish out some elaborate tale about his death defying mid air stop.  Harry once again shrugged his shoulders, almost in annoyance.  "Sorry." he said.  

Most of the Gryffindors had gone back to their corners of the room, although some still shot curious looks in Harry's direction.  Ron, the twins, Ginny, and Hermione all sat down in various positions in front of the fire.  Some on the floor, some on the couch.  Harry leaned his head back again a cushion on the couch and closed his eyes.  He was incredibly tired, although he didn't know why.  He hadn't really done all that much today.  The next thing he knew he was being shaken by Ron who was yelling at him to get up.

He peeked his eyes open and looked up into the face of professor McGonagall.  "Harry, are you alright?"  Confused, Harry shot up and realized he was surrounded by his friends, professors Dumbledore and McGonagall, and a very worried looked Sirius.  Harry was, needless to say, clueless as to why everyone was surrounding him like he was dying or something.

"What's going on?"  Harry asked warily.  He rubbed his eyes and found it was an effort just keeping his eyes open.  He started to lie back down, but was stopped rather roughly by Dumbledore who pulled him back up.  

"Don't fall back asleep Harry.  It took us three hours just to wake you up the first time."  That woke Harry up.  

"Whaaat?!!!!!!"  Harry looked incredulous at those surrounding him.  "You're kidding, right?"  

"No, we're not.  You were really starting to scare us."  said Hermione.  Sirius sat down beside his godson on the couch to make sure he didn't fall asleep again.  

"Oh."  Harry wasn't sure what to say about this.  Why in the world had he slept that long.  He decided to voice his question.

"Why?  I didn't even do anything today, except lay around in the sky for a while.  Why couldn't you wake me up?"  This was the question that everyone had wanted to know.

"We're not entirely sure, but I think we'll get some answers once we talk to Prudence.  She's here, by the way."  This was something that Harry had somehow known.  

"I figured as much."  The others looked at him questioningly.  "It was just a feeling.  So, what does she want to talk to me about?"  Dumbledore looked slightly stunned.  

"How did you know she wanted to talk to you?"  As if he really needed to ask.  Harry just knew.  

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Alas, I am going to stop it here.  Not much of a cliffhanger, if you ask me, but I guess you guys are probably wondering what this Prudence woman has to say.  Me too, actually.  I kind of know where I want to go with this, but there are a lot of gaps I need to fill in.  Anyways, please review!  Hopefully the next chapter will have a little more suspense in it.  I aim to please.  Anywho, I'll try to update ASAP!  SHADOWARWEN!


	10. The Staff of Egis

Disclaimer:  The usual, don't own 'em, never will.  

Yeah, my roommates are leaving and I am able to get on my own darn computer, how sad is this?

Come on people, I got only one review for that last chapter.  Hop to it.  However, to my one reviewer, Serena Cherry, I am glad that you liked my story.  I am also glad that you didn't quit at the beginning of the story and just kept going.  I didn't like the beginning either, but I didn't know what else to do with it.  Keep reading, it will get even better.  I probably won't have many more chapters left, so this story is almost complete.  Can you believe it?  Anyways, I'll quit my blabbering now and get on with it.  

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The room shone with a warm glowing from the firelight.  He was waiting patiently in an overstuffed armchair.  Professor Dumbledore had escorted him to this room almost twenty minutes ago and still he waited.  He was incredibly anxious to hear from this sorceress.  He was somehow sure that he would get all the answers to his questions from this one woman.  

Harry was fairly certain he had never stepped foot in this particular room before.  Of course, there were many rooms that he had never even seen, so this shouldn't be much of a surprise to him.  The room just seemed so familiar, or maybe it was just cozy.  He felt very relaxed and he was surprised he wasn't about to fall asleep again.  He had only been forcibly awoken from his three hour nap thirty minutes ago.  Harry had started to feel more energized since he had woke.  Just as he was about to get up and go see if they had forgotten which room he was in, the door swung open.  Dumbledore came in and was soon followed by an elderly looking woman, who also looked slightly young.  It was odd.  She had silver hair, much like the headmasters, only there were also streaks of red in it.  It flowed gracefully down her back.  She was dressed in dark blue robes and carried with her a long object that was covered in a black cloak.  He assumed it was the staff.  

At first, all was silent, but then Dumbledore spoke.  "Harry, this is Prudence Grinnellfield.  As you know, she would like to speak to you.  Would you like me to stay, or would you rather speak in private?"  Harry pondered the question before answering.

"It really doesn't matter to me, professor."  Harry looked uncertainly at the old sorceress.  Dumbledore, sensing Harry's indecision and uncertainty, quickly whispered in his ear.  

"There is nothing to worry about, she won't hurt you Harry, and I promise you that.  She is a dear old friend, I assure you, you are in good hands."  Harry felt better at his headmaster's reassurances and agreed to speak in private with the woman.  

"Hello Harry.  I have been looking forward to meeting you."  She said softly, sitting down in a chair opposite from him.  She smiled kindly at him and Harry felt as if he was sitting in a room with a grandmother, although he had never had one.  He took an instant liking to her.

"Hello.  I've been wondering when you would get here."  Prudence laughed heartily at him and took his hand gently in her own.  

"Curious to meet me?  I knew you would be.  I hold many answers, answers that you have been longing to hear."  Prudence smiled her warm smile.  "I wanted to thank you Harry."

"Thank me?  For what?"  Harry didn't have an inkling to what she was talking about. 

"For setting me free, of course."  Harry sat stunned.

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"Are you sure it is safe to leave him unattended in there with her?  By himself, no less?"  Sirius had been pacing professor Dumbledore's office since Harry had disappeared into the room.  

"Sirius, please, she is absolutely safe to be with.  I wouldn't have left him with her alone otherwise.  Trust me.  I know."  Sirius stopped his pacing and looked intently at the headmaster.  He nodded and sat down in a chair.  Ron and Hermione, however, both looked ready to go nuts.  They were both eager to hear what this woman had to say.  Plus, Hermione wanted nothing more than to get a good look at the Staff of Egis.  She had been imagining what it would look like since she found out it was coming here.  No one knew.  

"How much longer do you think it will take?" asked Ron.

"Ron, there is a little thing I would like you to learn." said Dumbledore from his position at his desk.

"What's that?"  

"Patience."  Ron snorted.

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"Do….Do you mean that you were the one in that glass cage?"  Harry couldn't believe his ears, or his eyes.  How on earth could this woman fit inside that glass case, it wasn't that big.

"Yes Harry, it was I who was in the case, but as I can tell you are wondering, I wasn't in this shape, but in the shape of something entirely different."

"You're an animagi, aren't you?" gasped Harry in acknowledgement. 

Prudence smiled.  "Yes, I am.  My, aren't you intelligent."

Harry just looked at her in astonishment.  "But, what are you?  I mean, what animal can you turn into?"  

"I, Harry, am a phoenix."  Harry's jaw almost literally hit the floor.  "Close your mouth dear."  He obeyed and shut his mouth.  

"But isn't it a rare gift to be able to turn into a phoenix?"  Harry thought he had heard Hermione say something along those lines sometime earlier.

"Yes it is, and I just so happen to be one of those gifted people.  Harry, I followed you into the fire that night, when you escaped from Lucius Malfoy.  Do you remember feeling like something had touched you as you entered the fireplace?"  Harry nodded.  "That was I.  In order to get safely through the network, I had to grab hold of you since I had no floo powder of my own.  It is dangerous, but it was the only way."

Harry looked at her confused, then with a look of suspicion.  "But I looked back, there was no one there."

"Ah, yes.  There is something else about me that you should know.  When I am in my animagi form, I can blend in with my surroundings, which is why you never saw me in the glass case and why you didn't see me in the fireplace or in Hogwarts for that matter."

"What do you mean?"   

"It was I who let you into Dumbledore's office that night.  The gargoyle knew my feathery touch and opened to allow access into Dumbledore's office." said Prudence.  

"It knew your feathery touch?  Come again?"  Harry looked oddly up at the sorceress.  

She laughed at Harry's look.  "I once was a teacher here.  It was a long time ago, and I put a spell on the gargoyle to allow me entrance whenever I touched it in my animagi form.  I found it easier than trying to figure out what his password was every time he decided to change it.  Of course, he knew I was doing it and that is the only reason I was able to do it, otherwise it would not have worked."  Harry nodded.

Prudence reached down beside her chair and picked up the long object that she had brought in with her.  "Do you know what this is, Harry?"

"I think I do.  Is it the staff of Egis?"  Prudence looked proudly down at Harry and slowly drew the black cloak off of the staff.  Harry gasped in awe.  It was the most unique and beautiful thing he had ever seen.  Engraved in the wood all over the staff were small phoenixes.  They all seemed to radiate a low red color from the very center of the staff.  It was extraordinary.  Perched at the top of the staff was another phoenix, with its wings stretched out as if to fly away, and its head held high.  It too seemed to be glowing red.

"Whoa."  said Harry, unable to think of anything else to say.  

"I once had possession of this staff when I was a teacher here, but when too much evil tried to get their hands on it, I put it in hiding where no one would ever find it but me.  I knew that I wasn't the true being for the staff; it never developed all of its power with me.  Only the true one can harness its powers, and I believe that the true one is you Harry."  If he could have, Harry would have fallen out of his chair, but the arms on the chair wouldn't allow it.  Instead he just kind of leaned sideways.    

"Excuse me?"  he was exasperated.  Why did this stuff always happen to him?  For once in his life he just wanted to be normal.  This would be just one more thing for people to gawk over him about.  As awesome as this was, he almost wished it were for someone else, who knows, maybe it was.

"Harry, I know this is all a lot for you to take in.  And grant it, I'm not entirely sure if this is for you to bear, but I do believe that if it is, you will be great.  Don't worry about what others think of you, this is your life and your destiny.  What you do with it is your own."

Harry thought that this woman wasn't old for nothing.  She had a lot of wisdom to share.  "I understand that you had a little floating incident on the quidditch field?"

"Yes." said Harry slowly.  

"I believe I know why.  The closer I got to Hogwarts, the closer the staff got to you.  When you were falling, your mind was screaming out for help, and the staff heard you.  At precisely the moment you were falling, the staff began to glow so brightly underneath my cloak that the light came through it.  It too hovered in the air, just below my hand.  I dared not touch it.  When I arrived at Hogwarts, later this evening, Dumbledore informed me of your incident.  This is why I believe that the Staff of Egis is yours to hold.  I believe that it may also help you to understand why your visions suddenly grew worse.  Once again, the closer the staff got to you, the stronger you became.  Your vision was spurred on by the staff when you had it, and therefore it increased in its power.  You had a full blown premonition that day."  Prudence stopped then, as she had finished her story.

"Prudence, in my vision, Voldemort said that as soon as you arrived they could strike.  I'm worried about the castle.  He could attack at any moment, although I am sure my scar would give us some forewarning."  He unconsciously reached up and rubbed his hand across it.  Prudence looked concerned.  

"It doesn't hurt now, though, does it?"  She really didn't want to hear that it did.

"No, I just have a funny feeling."  

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Stopping for now, my friends.  I hope you have enjoyed my story.  I can almost guarantee that there will only be maybe two, at the most, more chapters.  I can't wait.  The attack will be coming up soon!  I'm so excited.  Anyways, please review, the more you review, the quicker I'll update, and the sooner you guys will get to see what happens.  Then I can start on something new.  Any bright ideas for a new story?  Well, later peeps.  Shadowarwen.   


	11. It Begins

Disclaimer:  Do I really have to even say it?  Come on….I don't own the characters of Harry Potter, etc…

Anyways, okay, inspiration has hit me and because you guys were so generous with your reviews and because you guys are all very, very awesome, I decided to go ahead and get the next chapter started.  Woo Hoo!  Everybody seemed really interested in finding out how Harry stopped in mid air.  I'm glad I could clear that up for ya!  Anyways, here we go.  

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Prudence had been at Hogwarts for almost a month, and still Voldemort had tried nothing.  Christmas Break had come and gone and Harry was beginning to wonder if he had really had that vision or not.  If he had been correct, wouldn't Voldemort be attacking by now?  He couldn't be sure, and he was beginning to worry.  

Harry was now sitting on his bed in his dormitory with his best friend Ron.  They were both wearing new sweaters that they had received from Mrs. Weasley.  Looking out the window, he noticed that there had to be at least four inches, if not more, of snow on the ground.  The whole area was blanketed in a gleaming white.  

Ron had been munching on a chocolate frog and hadn't noticed Harry's far away look until just then.  "Harry, are you alright?  What are you thinking about?"  Ron was constantly worried about him, and so was Hermione.  Everyone in the school knew about Harry's premonition and were waiting for it to happen, however, as every passing day came and went without any attack, they were getting skeptical of his 'abilities'.  

"I'm just thinking.  What if Voldemort doesn't try to attack Hogwarts?  Not that I want it to happen, but I almost just wish it would happen so I didn't have to worry about it anymore.  Either that or I wish that he would up and die.  Not likely, though."  Downcast didn't even apply to Harry's mood.  Downright depressed better summed it up.  And he had been this way for days, even though Ron and Hermione had tried unsuccessfully to cheer him up.  Most everyone in the Gryffindor Tower had tried to cheer him up.  No such luck.  

"Look Harry, there's no need in torturing yourself over it, if it happens it happens, if it doesn't, then good for us.  There's nothing you can do except to be prepared when and if it does happen."  

"But if it doesn't happen to us, it will happen to somebody else.  Voldemort won't just sit idly by and do nothing when he has all this power to show off.  He wants control.  He needs control.  I'm not even sure if he can be stopped now.  I had my mother's protection before, but now I don't."  Harry was still staring out the window.

"You have the staff now Harry, remember?"  asked Ron. 

"I don't even know if it is truly for me.  It may not be.  Maybe I just have something that drew it to me, but I may not be the true holder.  Prudence said so herself."  said Harry, doubtfully.

"She also said that she was pretty sure it did belong to you.  What about the way it stopped you from falling and getting smashed into the quidditch field?  It sure the hell wasn't me or Hermione.  It was you and that staff.  You should really try and figure out what you can do with it!"  Ron had been trying to get Harry to just simply touch the darn staff for the past month, but Harry wanted nothing to do with it.  He felt weird when he was in the same room with it.  He didn't know why.   

"I told you, I don't like it.  I always feel so tired when I'm around it.  I'm scared of what would happen if I actually touched it."  Ron sighed, giving up.  He had tried every point of view possible to get Harry to use it, but he just wouldn't.  

"Well, it's almost time for supper, we had better get down there."  

"Alright."

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When they finally did reach the Great Hall, many were already in their seats, talking excitedly about the past Quidditch match.  Of course, Gryffindor had won, but just barely.  Hufflepuff had been ahead by seventy points when Harry had finally seen the Snitch and went for it.  Thanks to Harry, Gryffindor had won the game.  

Harry looked up and saw that Prudence was sitting beside Dumbledore at their table.  Prudence glanced in Harry's direction, stopped, and waved at him.  Harry just gave a slight gesture with his hand, supposedly a wave, and went on to his table.  As soon as everyone had arrived, the golden plates were filled with every sort of food imaginable, and they all dug in.  Harry was still hungry, despite his foul mood.  In the middle of his meal, he started to feel strange.  All at once, he knew what was about to happen.  He was about to have another of those visions.  Not wanting to have one in front of the whole school, he quickly stood up and made for the huge doors at the front of the Hall.  He heard Ron call after him, but he didn't care.  All he cared about was getting the heck out of that room, and fast.  As soon as he had cleared the doors, he leaned up against the wall and placed his other hand against his chest, and gasped for air.  This was the part he really didn't like about it.  He felt someone's hand on his shoulder and spun around quickly.  Bad idea, as soon as he had turned, he got lightheaded and felt the world around him slipping away.  He noticed that Professor Dumbledore, Prudence, Ron and Hermione were all gathered around him before he hit the floor.  Then he stopped breathing.

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_Harry felt as if he were floating, far above all the others.  When he looked down, he was surprised to see Cedric Diggory standing there.  He looked calm and relaxed, and began to float up towards Harry.  When he reached him, he clasped Harry around the shoulders and looked him in the eye.  "Harry, I've come to warn you.  He is coming, he will be here shortly.  You must stop him, Harry.  Only you can do it.  You must trust it Harry, for only it can save you.  Harry nodded to Cedric then looked down again.  "Why am I floating?"  This has never happened before."  Cedric looked slightly amused, but then he looked as if he didn't want to tell Harry something.  Making up his mind, Cedric spoke.  "Harry, you've stopped breathing."  If he could have choked, he would have.  "What?"  This was definitely not what he expected.  "How can I save them if I'm DEAD?!" he shouted at the floating figure dangling in front of him.  "Calm down.  You're not dead yet!  You need to go back now Harry."  Diggory looked once more at Harry, smiled serenely, and then disappeared.  All that was left was Harry and the white mist that surrounded him.  He began to panic, how the hell did he get back to his body?  Like a rush of gusting wind, he felt as if he was being dragged backwards and then suddenly…._

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He took in gulping breaths of air and sat up.  Around him, he could see that Hermione was crying uncontrollably in Dumbledore and Ron's arms.  They two were both crying and Prudence looked as if she would pass out at any moment.  Hermione's hysterical sobs had attracted the attention of the other Professors and they too were standing around the group.  He was quite surprised that no one had even noticed him sit up.  Hermione was quite hysterical though.  

Clearing his throat loudly, he got the attention of Professor Snape, who was standing the closest to him.  He never thought he would see the day.  The look on Snape's face would be one for the memory books.  Snape nearly fell over in shock.  He started to stammer.  Then he quickly regained his composure and walked over to Harry, who still sat on the floor.  

"You're alive I see."  No shit, really?  Harry was getting really annoyed with this man and all he had done was come over to him and say four words.  Plus, he was beginning to worry about Hermione.  She too was having difficulty breathing with all the sobbing she was doing. 

So he shouted.  "Hermione!"  Everyone's heads snapped up so fast that he was genuinely surprised that they didn't fall off.  She stood there, stock still, just staring at Harry.  Then she moved.  She was on Harry so fast that she knocked him down.  She grabbed his face and put her ear to his mouth, making sure that he was breathing.  

"Hermione!" he was gagging on her hair, and spitting in an attempt to get it out of his mouth.

"Oh, sorry.  I thought you were dead.  We all did!"  She once again embraced him in a tight hug and he had to nearly pry her off of him.  Ron knelt down beside him and gave him a quick hug.  

"Thought we'd lost you there, don't do it again, okay?"  Ron was still wiping the tears off his face.

"Harry, what happened?"  Dumbledore was quick to cut to the chase.  Of course, he had waited until he was sure that Harry was alright before he did.

Remembering his extremely weird floating vision, he stood up from the floor, but had to lean against Ron and Hermione for support.  

"Are you sure you're alright?"  asked Dumbledore.

Harry waved his hand at him in a brushing off sort of way.  "I'm fine, just a little weak.  You know, I did stop breathing."  

"Very well, maybe we should go somewhere that you can sit down."

"No, it's okay.  Let's talk about it now.  I'm not sure that we have much time."

Everyone started to get a little apprehensive.

"I guess when I stopped breathing I was brought to a place where I could see and talk to Cedric Diggory."  He paused when the others in the room gasped at him.  He wasn't sure if they believed him or not.  "It happened."

"We believe you Harry.  Please continue."  Prudence said, out of nowhere.  Harry nearly jumped.  Then he shook his head gratefully at her.

"I was floating and so was he.  He told me that Voldemort would be here soon.  He didn't say when, just soon.  I'm worried Dumbledore.  My last vision said he would come when Prudence arrived.  Well, she's been here for over a month now.  What if this one is wrong as well?"  Harry was beginning to think that everyone was thinking he was crazy.

"Harry, just because he hasn't come yet, doesn't mean anything.  Prudence has arrived, that much is for sure.  The attack was and still is unbeknownst to us.  When he comes, we will be ready."  Dumbledore spoke with such conviction that Harry believed him.  

"Now, perhaps we should get you to your room, Harry."  Professor McGonagall had grasped Harry by the arm.  

"No, really, I feel find now.  I actually am still a little hungry.  Can I finish my supper?"

"Of course you can Harry."  Said Professor McGonagall, and then, with her hand still secure on Harry's arm, as if trying to protect him, she lead him back into the Great Hall, where the students became deathly silent.  

"Carry on with your meal, children.  There is nothing to worry about."  Dumbledore's words were immediately heeded and everyone turned back to their meal, but not without throwing sideways glances at the boy-who-lived.  Twice now it seemed.  

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Prudence had entered her private chambers, looking to get the Staff of Egis.  She had a feeling that Harry would need it soon.  Whether he wanted it or not.   She threw open a large chest and pulled out the black cloak, and gasped in shock.

"Oh my dear goodness!"  she shrieked into the empty room.  She began to throw things haphazardly out of the chest, and began to silently pray that she hadn't just lost the most important thing in the world.  At least in the wizarding world.  

She sat back on her legs in defeat, letting out a great sigh.  "I've lost the Staff of Egis."  She paused then, hope filling her.  "Maybe not.  Oh, Merlin please let him have it."  

She burst through her door and strode purposefully down the corridor towards the Great Hall.

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Harry had just finished his fried chicken, something he had been craving all day and had suddenly appeared after he came in for the second time for supper.  He was taking a huge swallow of his drink when Prudence Grinnellfield came into the room and walked quickly towards him.  

Bodily pushing Ron over, Prudence sat down beside Harry and leaned in close.  

"Harry, do you have the staff?"  She said this as quietly as she could, while looking deeply into Harry's eyes.  

"No, why?"   Prudence suddenly looked on the verge of rage and Harry scooted away from her, only to be grabbed by the arms and pulled back.  

"Now Harry, I know you have it.  You and I are the only ones who knew where it was.  It's not there anymore, now please tell me, what have you done with it?  I won't be mad if you took it, I just need to know.  Please Harry, this is important."  She was nearly hissing into his ear and was squeezing his arms so hard it hurt. 

Harry yanked his arms out of her grasp and sat back, looking at her as if she had lost her mind.  "I don't have it.  If I did, I would tell you."  Harry talked in low tones, trying to keep their conversation to themselves.  Prudence, however, was about to fly off the handle.

"Where is it!" she screamed, trying once again to grab hold of him.  Harry quickly stood up and nearly fell into the Hufflepuffs, but they quickly caught him and gently stood him back on his feet.  

Prudence was going for Harry again when Dumbledore's resounding voice filtered through.

"Prudence!" he bellowed, immediately catching her attention.  She stopped at once, and nearly burst into tears.  

"Oh Harry, I'm so sorry!"  she moaned and quickly pulled him into a tight hug.  Harry, who wasn't sure if she was going to squish him to death, stood still, not daring to move.  

"It's the staff Harry.  If we don't have it, we'll be doomed."  she was nearly sobbing into his shoulder now.

"Now, please, tell me, do you have it?  I need the truth.  I won't get carried away again."  She had pulled away from him and was wiping her tears away with a handkerchief.  

"I did tell you the truth, I don't have it."  Prudence looked as if she could pass out.  However, for some odd reason, she still didn't believe him.

"Dumbledore, he must have it.  He is the only other one who knew where it was hidden."  She was trying to convince Dumbledore of her point of view and he quickly led her back up to the teacher's table.  

"Come, we will talk."  

Harry was mad.  He couldn't believe that she didn't believe him.  Other's could have broken into her room and stolen it.  It wouldn't have been impossible.  But to blame him, of all people.  The nerve of her.  

Harry noticed that most of the people in the room were giving him weird looks and whispering behind their hands.  Malfoy and his cronies were over at the Slytherin table snickering.  He had half the mind to go over there and beat some sense into that idgit.  

"Stupid prat." He mumbled to himself.  

As he was about to walk back over to his table, he felt a weird sensation from beneath him.  As he looked down, he noticed that the floor had turned into a clear, rippling, piece of glass.  Looking further into the floor, he was a dark shape.  The closer it got, the darker it seemed to become.  Then he realized, with a jolt of horror, who it was.  His scar screamed at him, and so did he.  He brought his hand up to his forehead and pressed it there, all the while screaming in agony.  It had never hurt this badly before.  Everyone in the room had gone into a panic; they were all looking at Harry, knowing full well what this meant.  Voldemort was here.  Just as the professors were reaching Harry, the glassy, rippling floor gave way and Harry fell through, landing with a thud on the floor of what seemed to be a cave of some sort.  Looking up, Harry could see Dumbledore and others trying to get through the floor, but to no avail.  Harry was now withering in pain on the floor, and could see the desperation of his friends from above him.  

"Oh God, what do we do?"  Hermione was screaming at anyone who was around her and pulling at them as well.  "He'll kill him!"  She couldn't lose Harry twice in one day.  

Just as everyone was about to blast through the floor with their wands, a loud scream from the Slytherin table caught their attention.  Draco, Crabb, and Goyle had all shot up out of their seats, screaming.   Underneath the table, something was glowing a deep red.  Suddenly, with a burst of light that almost blinded those around it, the Staff of Egis shot up from underneath the table and hovered above those in the room.  It began to rotate, seeming to search for something, and then it stopped.  It moved like lightening to the spot where the glassy floor was.  Once again, it stopped in mid air above the floor.  Everything was silent except for the sound of Harry's screams.  Then the staff descended into the floor, and the glassiness dissolved, leaving only the hardwood floor. Silence reigned.  

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Well, is it getting good?  Are you all freaking out right about now?  Are you cursing my name?  Just wondering!  I promise to get the next chapter up as soon as possible.  I'm surprised I was able to get this one up this fast, but once again, my roommates were not here to bother me!  Woo Hoo!  Well, until next time…..

Shadowarwen


	12. The End

Disclaimer:  Harry Potter characters don't belong to me.  

This is the last chapter people!  Or at least I hope it is. Review if you like it!  Please?!!!!!

This is for Kalih and Ms. Prongs, for the only reviews I have gotten in a while and to Kalih, again, for kicking my butt into gear.    

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Draco, Crabb, and Goyle all felt their faces flush as all eyes turned to them.  Prudence looked absolutely livid.  They tried to make a hasty retreat, but were each grabbed by the collar by Professors Snape, Dumbledore, and McGonagall.  

"It was you who stole the staff?"  It was more of a factual statement than a question.

Draco was watching their faces intently, trying to gage exactly how much trouble he was in.  It was a lot.  Deciding he was screwed no matter what, since he had technically been caught in the act, he went with the truth.  A first for Draco Malfoy.  He looked at Prudence before speaking, making sure to keep at a safe distance.  He looked at Prudence before speaking, making sure to keep at a safe distance.  He had just seen her temper.

"It was I." he said, sounding more snobby than he had intended.  Toning it down a bit, he tried again.  "My friends and I were…..eavesdropping, I guess, and we heard you and Potter speaking to each other.  We heard about the staff and we wanted to see it."

"And then you decided to steal it and blame it on Harry!  Didn't you, you stupid git!"  Ron had gotten into Draco's face and was screaming at him.  McGonagall put a restraining hand on his shoulder.  Ron backed off.

"Well, if I hadn't had it in here, it wouldn't have gotten to Harry, now would it!" shouted Draco, trying to save his ass.  

Ron, looking quite flustered, was on the verge of decking his worst enemy across the face, but thought better of it.  Ron was about to discover that Prudence was the Queen of verbal bashings.

"You listen here young man, that staff would have made it to Harry just fine without your interference.  It probably would have arrived faster if you and your idiot friends hadn't been restraining it under the table.  You THREE could very well have cost Harry his life!"

This time, Ron didn't hold back.  He threw back his fist and let it fly straight at Draco, and knocked him flat on his rear.

"If anything happens to Harry, you white haired freak, you'll pay for it!" Ron hissed.  No one had ever seen Ron so mad before.  Fred and George had to physically hold him back from using his wand.

"What about Harry?  Shouldn't we do something?  Isn't there a way to get through the floor again?  We have to do something!" Hermione was becoming hysterical again.  Dumbledore gently laid a comforting hand against her shoulder.  

"I'm afraid there is nothing we can do Hermione.  Harry is on his own.  I only hope he can make it."  Everyone who was still in the room (all the other students had been sent to their common rooms) looked extremely frightened.  Harry's screams were still echoing in their minds.

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Reaching past his agony and fear, Harry opened his eyes and looked wearily around him.  He could never remember feeling so drained in all his life.  Voldemort was no where in sight, however he knew he was near because his scar was still burning fiercely, but not nearly as bad as before.

Standing up uncertainly, he took a closer look at his surroundings.  He couldn't be sure, but he was almost positive he was in a cave, although how he got here was beyond him.  He was beginning to wonder if he could get back out by the way he came, but further inspection of the cave ceiling showed no such luck.  Harry had begun to shiver from the cold.  The cave he was in was freezing and damp.  All Harry had to protect himself from the weather were the thin clothes he had on.  Today was not a Care of Magical Creatures class day, or otherwise he would have dressed more warmly for the outdoor class.  Reaching into his robe's pocket brought him more dismay.  His wand was not there.  Searching frantically on the ground, he ran his hands all over the slimy, rocky area, but he couldn't find his wand.

"Damnit!" he breathed.  Suddenly, the sting in his scar began to intensify until he could hardly stand it.  Harry was now on his knees in the middle of a cave with his hand grasped firmly to his forehead.  Panic ensued.  He began to scramble backwards, frantically trying to put more distance between himself and his enemy.  Without his wand, he was worthless.

Voldemort stepped closer into Harry's view sight.  "Mr. Potter.  It is so very good to see you again." he hissed.

Harry was breathing hard through his mouth, trying to control the pain in his scar.  He was determined not to let it get the better of him a second time.  Still moving backwards, he felt the end of the line as his back hit the wall.  Voldemort took out his wand and pointed it at Harry's head.  Fear coursed throughout his body.  He had no way to defend himself and there was nothing to hide behind to ward off the curses blows.  He was at the mercy of a crazed lunatic.

'I'm going to die.' thought Harry.

Voldemort smiled evilly at Harry.  "Should I kill you…………hmm……..or torture you first?"  Harry, garnering more courage than he felt, dragged himself into a standing position.  He wasn't going down without a fight, wand or not.  Harry glared at Voldemort.

This only served to make Voldemort mad.  "Still trying to defy me in the hour of your death?!"  Harry flinched.  Voldemort smiled.  "Perhaps we'll play a little first."  said Voldemort,  bring up his wand.  Saying something that Harry couldn't hear, he suddenly found himself being thrown violently across the cave, and was sent crashing into the wall behind Voldemort.  Harry could feel the rocks cutting through his clothes and tearing into his skin.  Blood began to pool in small puddles beneath him.  Harry gingerly got back to his feet, facing Voldemort again.  Voldemort growled at the boy in front of him.

"Crucio." said Voldemort, calmly, while Harry began screaming and withering on the floor.  His screams were burning his throat and his nemesis seemed in no hurry to take the curse off of him.  Suddenly, the pain stopped and he was able to breathe again.  He looked up into the wild eyes of Voldemort and wished that he was anywhere but here.  All of a sudden, Harry saw ropes come flying out of Voldemort's wand and come flying at him, dragging him up to a large rock that was hanging from the ceiling and binding him there.  He struggled desperately, but wasn't able to break free of the ropes.  

"Harry, it is time we said our goodbyes, I'm afraid.  Tell your mother and father hi for me, won't you?"  Voldemort sneered.  If Harry hadn't been tied up, he would have dived at him.  "I hope this isn't too painful."  Voldemort raised his wand and pointed in directly at Harry's neck.  "Diffindo."  

He could feel his neck ripping open, like someone was cutting it with scissors.  He started gargling and gasping for air, but all that came up was blood.  He could feel his life draining away, and saw as four Death Eaters entered the cave.  They each looked up at Harry's body and smiled.  

"Watch him, call to me when he's dead.  I have some 'business' to take care of."  With one more smirking grin towards Harry, Voldemort swept out of the cave.  

Harry's chin was now dangling limply on his chest.  Harry Potter knew no more.

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Dumbledore and the others were still sitting nervously in the Great Hall.  They were hoping against hope for some news of what had happened to Harry.  Nothing had happened, and they were beginning to get worried.  The hour was growing late.  Harry had been gone for almost half a day, breakfast would be in only a matter of hours.  However, if Harry didn't return soon, the whole school was going to be evacuated.  Minister Fudge had already stopped in and told them this himself.  So much for not believing that Voldemort was back.  Hermione had had a few choice words for Fudge as well.  Blaming him for Harry's disappearance and supposed death was only the beginning.  

Now they all sat dejectedly at the Gryffindor table, waiting for Harry to show up.  No one had spoken since the little fiasco with Draco and his friends.  Their minds were filled with worry.  When the doors burst open and McGonagall came rushing in, none of them noticed.  She went immediately to Dumbledore's side.

"Professor, we have a problem."  Tears were streaming down her face.  "Voldemort has just stepped over the barriers of the school.  He's coming in!"  

Dumbledore shot up from his seat, this time everyone's attention was gained.  "Dear heavens, he couldn't get in…unless…"  

Professor McGonagall nodded her head glumly, tears now flowing freely.  "Harry must be gone, sir." 

A moan from nearby caught their attention just in time to see Hermione fall to the floor.  She had fainted.  Ron was immediately at her side, tears were also streaming down his face now.  He was able to revive Hermione and they both wept together.   Fred, George, and Ginny all sat down beside them on the floor.  No one seemed to care that Voldemort was about to attack, all that mattered was that Harry was dead.

Dumbledore was about the usher them out of the castle when the doors burst open again, this time with the foul looking Voldemort leading the way.  Death Eaters were following him in.  

"Ah, mourning, are we?  So you have heard?  Yes, your dear Harry Potter is dead!"  He seemed to revel in his victory against the boy-who-lived, but who wouldn't live again.  

Dumbledore and the other professors in the room stood protectively in front of the students, who were now all standing, wands drawn, ready to fight.  Screw death, it was a good day to die.  

"You think you can win against me?  I don't think so my imbecilic friends.  Perhaps you would all like to hear how he died?"  Those in the room began to pale.  "No, you don't want to hear it?  You don't want to hear how the blood was draining from his severed neck as I left him behind to die?  How he couldn't move to staunch the bleeding because he was tied to a rock up on the cave ceiling?"  He could see them shaking with anger, and jeered them on.  "How I made him endure the Cruciatus Curse again?"  He started to laugh hysterically in their faces.  

Dumbledore sent Voldemort crashing into the wall.  No one had even heard him speak.  "You coward.  If he had had his wand, he would have succeeded in destroying you.  But no, you had to use his weakness against him.  How dare you."  Dumbledore was seething in anger now.  Voldemort was actually beginning to shrink against the wall, he was still frightened of the headmaster.  But suddenly he stood back up and raised his wand.  

"You shall never beat me, Dumbledore.  I will win!  Crucio!"  he yelled, hitting the professors, leaving the students unguarded and vulnerable.  

They all began to huddle closer together.  They knew what a dire predicament they were all in.  Odds were against them.  Once again, Voldemort raised his wand and they braced themselves for the worst.

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A/N:  You people had better be singing my praises, because I am continuing with this even though I am dead tired.  Just so you know.  I want reviews, many reviews.

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Cold…it was so cold.  Warmth was just beyond his fingertips, if he could only reach it.  He knew that if he wasn't dead already, he would be soon.  He could hear the incoherent mumblings of the idiots called Death Eaters in the background.  He could feel the presence, but of what, he didn't know.  There was something near him that he had to reach.  He could feel his being growing dimmer.  He was dying.  

Stretching out his hand as much as he could with the ropes binding him to the rock and his lack of energy, he spoke with his mind, hoping to call the presence to him.

'Accio.' His mind screamed.  He became aware of an object that seemed to have dropped into his outstretched hand.  Warmth started to flow throughout his body, beginning with his hand and going inwards from there.  The pain in his neck disappeared along with the pain in his body.  Opening his eyes, he looked around the cave once again.  The Death Eaters were completely ignoring him, and were all standing down on the cave floor talking amongst themselves.  He peered to his right and saw that in his hand was the staff of Egis, it was glowing dimly, as if waiting for a chance to really glow.  He closed his eyes again and thought to himself, 'undo.'  The ropes fell to the floor and he dropped to it as well.  The Death Eaters all jumped up, looking like they were about to bite the dust.  There was no way in hell that Harry could still be alive, but here he was, alive and kicking.  

He raised his staff to the Death Eaters and a pulsating light burst forth, delivering the same blow as a stupefy curse would have done.  Turning around, he stepped into the middle of the cave, and looked upward, exactly the spot where he had fallen in from.  Once again he raised his wand and pointed it upwards.  The phoenix that was perched on the top of the staff began to flap its wings powerfully, all the while the staff itself began to glow a bright red again, brighter than it had in the Great Hall.  Light and power exploded upward in a gush of wind, blowing the cave ceiling open. 

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Voldemort raised his wand and pointed it directly at the group of students huddled together in the middle of the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables.  

"It's time to wipe the face of the earth of your presence."  Hermione and the Weasleys were all throwing spell after spell at Voldemort, only to watch in horror as they seemed to bounce off of him.  "It's too bad your little friend isn't here to save you anymore, isn't it?"  Voldemort hissed at them.  "Avada Kedavra."  Green light came out of the end of Voldemort's wand, heading directly for Harry's friends.  Screams were heard throughout the castle, students in their common rooms sat up straight in bed, knowing right then that it was the end of the world.  

The deadly green light stopped right before it hit its target as the ground beneath it burst forth, sending chunks of stone and metal into its path, plus Harry Potter.  The devastating green light hit the phoenix and exploded into a flurry of sparks.  It was as if a fireworks show had gone off in the Great Hall.  

At first, Hermione, the Weasleys, and the professors couldn't tell what had come up through the floor, but as the smoke cleared, they could just barely make out the form of a person.  

"Holy crap!" said Ron in amazement.  

"Harry?"  said Hermione uncertainly.  Hearing his name, Harry turned around quickly and ran to his friends and professors.  

"Are you alright?"  Harry was beside himself with worry.  He could sense that the Avada Kedavra curse had been sent.  "I thought you would all be dead."

"We can't die, when you come bursting through the floor like that."  said Fred and George, still gawking at him.  

Harry looked down in embarrassment.  He hated when they all looked at him like that.  

"Harry!  Look out!"  McGonagall screamed as Voldemort sent the Avada Kedavra at Harry's back.  Harry could feel a fierce pain enter him from behind and he arched his back in response, on the verge of letting out a scream.  The others in front of him looked on horror stricken, while Voldemort laughed evilly behind him.  The dark light flew through him, causing every part of him to contort in pain.  Then it reached the hand that still held the wand.  The dark light entered the staff through Harry's hand and it absorbed it out of Harry.  The phoenix began to glow so brightly that no one could stand to look at it any longer.  Then a bright crimson red burst from the phoenix, blinding those around it.  When they were all able to see again, Voldemort was no where to be seen.  

All eyes were on Harry, and Harry's eyes were on the floor.

"Wow."  was all that Ron could seem to say.  Hermione and the others were in the same boat.  Professor Dumbledore finally broke the silence.

"Well done, Harry, well done."  Dumbledore quickly enveloped him in a hug, which not only surprised Harry, but everyone in the room as well.  "thought we'd lost you there, young one.  This happens entirely too much to you."  He slapped him on the back, breaking the gushy moment.  Then he looked at the staff that was still grasped firmly in his hand.

Prudence spoke for the first time.  "It appears that the staff has finally chosen its keeper Harry."  She too took Harry into a firm hug, "I'm so sorry I was unkind to you earlier Harry.  I never should have doubted you, and I never should have reacted in such a way."  

"It's alright Prudence, all is forgiven." Harry kept looking over to where Voldemort had been standing only moments before.  "What happened to him?"

"Well, I believe that an even stronger form of the Avada Kedavra curse was thrown back at Voldemort." Dumbledore too was looking at the spot.  

"I don't think I killed him."  

Those in the room became suddenly quiet.

"What do you mean?  We all saw it happen Harry, that staff of yours blew 'him' up."  Ron decided to join the conversation.

"Actually, none of us saw it at all, it was too bright, remember."  Ron began to look doubtful and nervous. 

"So what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I don't think he's dead.  Look," he pointed to the wall, "the wall is scorched from the blast, shouldn't there at least be an imprint of Voldemort if the light had struck him?"

The thought had now all sunk in to those in the room that Voldemort could still be out there, still at full strength, and they would never know.

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The rest of the school year had past with no sign of Voldemort's return.  Many people began to think that perhaps Harry and his staff had destroyed him.  Others believed that maybe he had gotten away right before the light had burst forth.  However, Harry had a deep feeling that Voldemort wasn't dead, that he was still out there, waiting for the opportunity to attack again.  As Harry boarded the Hogwarts train, on his way to go live with the Weasleys, no more abuse for him, he couldn't help but feel happy.  Now if only that dreadful feeling that Voldemort was nearby would only go away.

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 THE END!!!!!!!!!!!!

I may take this to another story, or I might not.  I might just start something fresh.  Tell me what you think?  I'm going to go watch Monsters Inc.  now because I can.  Love ya guys!  Thanks Ms. Prongs for all your hasty emails.  You're a big help.  Later.    


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